Global visa and immigration updates: 26th July 2024
Stay ahead of the latest changes in global visa and immigration regulations.
With 28 years of experience in the global HR and workforce solutions industry, Mauve Group’s Global Visa and Immigration team supports businesses of all sizes to expand and hire globally.
Our team of experts navigate complex immigration routes and keep up-to-date with all the latest developments in international visa and immigration. So, we always ensure complete compliance for all of our clients and workers.
The Netherlands
EU Blue Card rules have been relaxed in the Netherlands, as of June 12th 2024. The aim of this is to attract an influx of highly skilled workers and address labour shortages.
Specific changes to these rules include Blue Cards remaining valid for five years, rather than four. Plus, applicants will now only require five years of relevant experience and no longer need to hold educational qualifications. The minimum salary for Blue Card applicants has also been lowered.
More information can be found here.
The UK
The UK is raising visa application fees by 250 GBP, from 1,048 GBP to 1,258 GBP. Originally meant to come into effect in October 2023, this particular increase was delayed due to ‘technical issues’.
This increase will primarily affect those applying on the basis of their personal life, such as partners wishing to extend their stay and the parents of British citizens. In addition, those applying on human rights grounds will be impacted.
More information can be found here.
Kuwait
Revisions to Kuwait’s work permit system have come into effect, meaning that the work permit no longer distinguishes between local and foreign workers. The processing fee has also risen from KWD 175 to KWD 325.
Previously, the transferal between employers only came with a cost, if completed within the first six months of the work permit. However, an early transfer fee of KWD 300 must now be paid by foreign workers wishing to change employers within three years.
W hile this change allows greater flexibility with regard to permit allocation, it does incur greater costs, which my impact employer budgets.
More information can be found here.
Portugal
The validity of immigration documents and visas in Portugal has been extended to June 30th 2025. This marks the second time that these permits have been extended.
410,000 migrant cases remain pending, and this extension is aimed at allowing the government processing time to address this backlog, according to the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA).
More information can be found here.
Thailand
New visa measures have been announced to boost the Thai economy via travel and tourism. A 60-day visa exemption and Visa-on-Arrival (VOA) schemes, as well as student visas, are just some of the updates which came into effect on July 15th 2024.
Visa exemption will be granted to nationals of 93 countries and territories, where previously these were only available to 57 countries.
Citizens of 31 locations are now eligible to apply for VOA on arrival in Thailand – previously, this only applied to individuals of 19 locations. The VOA scheme also allows participants to remain in-country for tourism purposes for up to 15 days.
More information can be found here.
Australia
Effective July 1st 2024, the fee for a student visa application in Australia has increased to 1,600 AUD, a 125% jump from the previous cost of 710 AUD.
The increase is aimed at funding education and migration initiatives, including measures such as:
- Making HECS fairer;
- Paid Prac;
- FEE-Free Uni Ready courses;
- The Vocational Education and Training sector, including financial support for apprentices and their employers; and
- The ongoing implementation of the Migration Strategy.
More information can be found here.
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