Immigration. ReloTalk

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1 Immigration Get the latest news on immigration, work and residence permits in Brazil, China, Malaysia, Mexico and Switzerland. For more information, click on an article below: BRAZIL: Amendments to Work Visa Rules Introduced A government decree published in the Official Gazette on 11th May 2016, significantly amends the rules and procedures for obtaining work visas for foreign nationals in Brazil. The main changes are as follows: Work visa renewal applications can now be submitted to the Ministry of Labour electronically, rather than manually; It will now be possible to apply to the Ministry of Labour to change status post arrival from a business or student to a work visa; Dependents of work visa holders who are 16 years and over will be able to work in Brazil; Change of employer notifications can also be submitted online to the Ministry of Labour, rather than to the Ministry of Justice; Work visa extension applications will no longer require the employer to be responsible for the employee s repatriation costs; A new visa will be created for research and innovation projects; The process of obtaining a work visa will be streamlined for strategic professionals however, the definition of strategic professionals and the details of the new streamlined process have not yet been established. So far, only the online work visa renewals have been officially implemented. The other changes mentioned in the new decree should be implemented in the coming months. The decree is a welcome development and provides a number of improvements that should streamline procedures, reduce processing times, and provide greater flexibility to Brazilian employers seeking to sponsor or retain foreign workers. CHINA: Recent Restrictions on Work and Business Visas for Shanghai The Ministry of Public Security in Shanghai has recently stopped issuing invitation letters for foreign nationals to obtain Z (work) visas in Hong Kong, unless the applicant has a Hong Kong ID Card (which establishes residency). Previously, it was possible to obtain a Z visa for Shanghai in Hong Kong without a Hong Kong ID Card.

2 Other Chinese cities may still issue Z visa invitation letters for foreign nationals in Hong Kong with no Hong Kong ID card, but this should be checked on a case-by-case basis. Additionally, the immigration authorities in Shanghai have recently turned away some frequent business visitors holding M (business) visas at the border. Although the visitors were on legitimate M visas, the authorities believed that the frequency and length of their visits suggested that they weren t genuine business visitors, but were actually coming to China for work. Foreign nationals intending to take up work in Shanghai must obtain their Z visa in their country of nationality or residence, rather than on a visit to Hong Kong. Frequent business travelers to China who are planning to travel to Shanghai, including those holding a valid M visa, should check with the immigration authorities in Shanghai that their business travel schedule is considered legitimate. MALAYSIA: MYXpats Centre Introduces Application Fees Effective 1st June 2016, the MYXpats Centre is imposing charges for the online processing of Employment Pass (EP), Dependant Pass (DP) and Social Visit Pass (SVP) applications. The application charges are as follows: Employment Pass: 318MYR Dependant Pass: 74.20MYR Social Visit Pass: 74.20MYR The application charges are inclusive of 6% GST (Goods and Services Tax). These application charges are separate from the immigration charges which are payable at the time of endorsement of the relevant pass (Stage 2 of the application process). Payment of these charges can be made online via credit card or internet banking. Employers sponsoring foreign nationals for immigration passes via the Expatriate Services Division should take the new charges into account in their planning.

3 MEXICO: Visa Exemption for Some Visa-Required Nationals Effective 17 May 2016, visa-required nationals are allowed to enter the country for up to six months without a visa if they have a valid visa to enter Canada, Japan, the Schengen Area or the United Kingdom. Previously, this exemption was only applied to permanent residents of Canada, Japan, the UK, the US, and the Schengen countries, and holders of a valid visa for the US. In addition, visa-required nationals who are permanent residents of the Pacific Alliance member countries (Chile, Colombia and Peru) can now enter Mexico without a visa, for up to 180 days. Holders of a visitor visa to Mexico (or visitor status with this visa exemption) can remain in Mexico for up to six months. Work is permitted as long as the foreign national remains on home contract and is paid from outside Mexico. The change will save affected business travelers time when traveling to Mexico. THE NETHERLANDS: Change to Minimum Wage per July 1 st Effective 1 July 2016, the minimum wage for employees aged 23 and older will increase to 1.537,20 per month excluding holiday allowance. This has a consequence for the minimum income requirements for interns. They will need to earn at least 768,60 (50% of min.wage). THE NETHERLANDS: Tuberculosis Test for Children under 18 The TB test for children under the age of 18 has changed. Children will be now tested by tuberculin skin test (also called a Mantoux tuberculin test) instead of chest x-rays. Three days after the Mantoux test children must come back to the Municipal Health Service (GGD) for a check. An appointment for the check will be scheduled during the Mantoux test appointment. There are plans to implement the Mantoux test also for adults (18 years of age and older) later this year. Children under 18 years of age need to go twice to the GGD for the TB test.

4 SWITZERLAND: Quotas for EU/EFTA L Permits Exhausted for Second Quarter of 2016 The quota for L permits for the second quarter of 2016, for short-term assignees from European Union (EU) / European Free Trade Agreement (EFTA) countries, has been filled. New, incoming EU/EFTA nationals who are assigned to Switzerland but remain on foreign employment contracts will not be issued L permits until 1 July The quota for B permits, and permits not subject to quotas, such as the 120 day permit and the 4 month short term permit, are not affected. Quotas for non-eu/efta nationals are also not affected. The cantonal procedures in dealing with the situation vary: Zurich The authorities will grant permit approval for one month for the time being. One can then ask for an L permit for the duration after expiration of that month and should be able to join the applications which fall under the next quarter, from 1 July 2016 onwards. Aargau The authorities will establish a preliminary decision which will allow assignees to start work. The quota will be issued on 1 July Basel The authorities will establish a preliminary decision which will allow assignees to start work. The quota will be issued on 1 July Companies should allow for possible delays when sending EU/EFTA nationals to Switzerland. Holidays and Offices Closure This year, the Islamic month of Ramadan is expected to begin around 6th June and end around 6th July. Click on the article below to read how this holiday may affect immigration and custom clearance procedures. GLOBAL: Offices to Shorten Business Hours during Ramadan This year, the Islamic month of Ramadan is expected to begin around 6th June and end around 6th July. Tha exact observance days may vary by country some countries define the start of the holy month based on astronomical calculations predicting when the new moon will rise, while others wait for the actual sighting of the new moon to declare the start of Ramadan, which may be impacted by weather conditions.

5 During the Ramadan period government offices and private businesses in many Islamic countries in the Middle East, North Africa and parts of Asia will have reduced opening hours. In addition, they will also be closed for up to ten days, depending on a country, for Eid al-fitr holiday immediately after Ramadan. Any immigration applications still in process or filed during Ramadan and Eid al-fitr may be subject to delays due to reduced working hours at the government authorities. Also, customs authorities in many Muslim countries will work shorter hours which means that productivity will be impacted. In addition to the above, countries in the Middle East are also observing a summer working ban which prohibits workers from carrying out any work under direct sunlight from pm. One of the known impacts is the extended time required for shipments to be cleared and delivered. Team Relocations also wishes to highlight that such delays may lead to possible additional demurrage and/or port charges. Team Relocations will always keep the assignee informed about any possible delays when scheduling services and will strive to limit the impact wherever possible. However, companies are advised to plan ahead to minimize unnecessary delays. Schooling The International School Consultancy Research, the world s leading provider of data on the international schools market, has recently published a new report about the latest data and intelligence on the international schools market in the UAE. Click on the article below for more information. UAE Leads International Schools Market, According to New Report The International School Consultancy Research, the world s leading provider of data on the international schools market, has recently published a new report about the latest data and intelligence on the international schools market in the UAE. According to the report, the UAE continues to be the leading country in the world for English-medium K-12 international independent schools. In terms of the number of international schools, the UAE is currently competing in a very tight race with China, but in terms of student enrolment, the UAE is the clear leader. There are 548 English-medium international schools in the UAE; just three more than in China. More schools are under construction, with 14 due to open during Several more schools are in various phases of development.

6 The total number of students aged between three and 18 attending English-medium international schools in the UAE is 545,074. This is the highest enrolment of any country in the world. Major factors in high student enrolment include the wealth of the country, an extensive expatriate population, demand for high quality, English-medium education by both expatriates and wealthy locals, plus the fact that the governments of Dubai and Abu Dhabi allow unlimited enrolment of local children at international schools. The report states that, with Dubai s population projected to grow by 13% within the next two years, and further expansion in Abu Dhabi, demand for international school places in these two emirates will continue to increase substantially. Market Intelligence Report for International Schools in the United Arab Emirates is available at