Fragomen Immigration Update: January 20 – 26, 2017

In United States immigration news this week, President Trump is expected to issue an executive order that suspends the entry of foreign nationals from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen for a period of at least 30 days.   U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has determined that it will accept employment-based adjustment applications from foreign nationals with a priority date that is current for final action under the State Department's February Visa Bulletin.

The UK Supreme Court has ruled that the government must consult Parliament prior to invoking Article 50 to separate the United Kingdom from the European Union.

Foreign nationals in Bolivia must complete mandatory registration April 2017.

The United Arab Emirates has launched a labour market testing program that creates more recruitment rules for employers.

Foreign employers seconding employees to Bulgaria must comply with a new notification rule by February 10, 2017, and must maintain certain documents related to the employee's posting.

These items and other news from Singapore and Turkey follow in this edition of the Fragomen Immigration Update.

 

Important Updates in Immigration This Week

United States, January 26, 2017
February Visa Bulletin Update: USCIS to Honor Employment-Based Final Action Dates Only Next Month

In February, USCIS will only accept employment-based adjustment applications from foreign nationals with a priority date that is current for final action under the State Department's February Visa Bulletin.

To view entire article, click here.

 

United States, January 25, 2017
President Trump Expected to Suspend Entry of Foreign Nationals from Seven Countries

Nonimmigrants, immigrant visa holders and U.S. lawful permanent residents from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen – including dual nationals – will not be permitted to enter the United States for a period of at least 30 days, under an executive order that is expected to be issued soon.   In addition, immigration processing delays at U.S. consulates, USCIS and the Department of Labor are expected.

To view entire article, click here.

 

Bulgaria, January 25, 2017
New Notification and Document Retention Requirement for Foreign Employers Seconding Employees

According to a new rule, foreign employers seconding employees to Bulgaria must submit a form to the Labor Inspectorate by February 10, 2017 and must maintain certain documents related to the employee's posting during the assignment and for one year following the end of the assignment.

To view entire article, click here.

 

United Arab Emirates, January 25, 2017
New Emiratisation and Labour Market Testing Program Creates More Recruitment Rules for Employers

In order to increase the amount of local workers in the private sector, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation has launched a program that implements a new labour market testing platform which requires participating companies to create job advertisements accessible to UAE nationals seeking employment before being able to hire foreign nationals. The new program will likely increase the time for selected employers to hire foreign nationals since employers will be required to complete labour market testing first.

To view entire article, click here.

 

United Kingdom, January 24, 2017
Judgment Released: Parliament Must Approve Triggering of Article 50

By a majority vote, the UK Supreme Court has ruled that the government must consult Parliament prior to invoking Article 50 to separate the United Kingdom from the European Union. It is anticipated that the government will present the related bill for debate to Parliament shortly, before it can become law.

To view entire article, click here.

 

Bolivia, January 23, 2017
Foreign Nationals Must Complete Mandatory Registration Process by April 2017

Foreign nationals currently living in Bolivia must complete an online form and take it to the immigration authority office to submit fingerprints and take a photograph by April 2017. Penalties for noncompliance are likely to be implemented in the future.

To view entire article, click here.

 

Singapore, January 23, 2017
Scams Continue to be Aimed at Foreign Nationals in Singapore

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) continues to warn against phishing, phone and email scams aimed at foreign nationals working in Singapore. These types of scams often involve requests for money or sensitive personal information. A list of best practices and tips to help identify and report these scams was recently updated on MOM's website.

To view entire article, click here.

 

Other Immigration News This Week

Turkey: Residence Card Practices Amended – The Migration Directorate (MD) (the office responsible for issuing residence permits) has declared it is retaining the originals of all legalized biographic documents that are submitted with residence permit applications. A notation regarding retained documents will be made in the MD database so that at renewal, the same original documents will not be required again. Foreign nationals should nevertheless consider requesting multiple copies of legalized documents in case this system does not work.  Applicants are also advised that documents legalized in a manner different from a standard apostille are more likely to be scrutinized.

Additionally, foreign nationals seeking residence card appointments for newborns must wait until the newborn is issued a passport before scheduling an appointment.  Previously, the mother's passport number could be used for scheduling purposes. Fragomen worked closely with the Bener Law Office of Istanbul to prepare this update.

 

Global Immigration News Links

President Trump signed an executive order for the immediate construction of a border wall with Mexico and called for a newly expanded force to find and remove unauthorized immigrants.

Several U.S. cities’ mayors vowed that they would maintain sanctuary city status as President Trump signed an executive order to halt funding to municipalities that do not cooperate with federal immigration officials.

Australia and India have said that they both want a better visa arrangement in the United Kingdom in exchange for a post-Brexit trade deal, according to the Independent.

The European Commission has proposed that Germany, Austria, Sweden, Denmark and Norway extend border checks within the bloc free-travel zone, Reuters reports.

The Scottish Government will oppose changes to immigration rules that prevent businesses from hiring foreign workers as a result of Brexit, according to The Scotsman.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.

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