Fragomen Immigration Update: October 10 - 17, 2014

In immigration news this week, China has introduced random residence checks and steeper fines to enforce the residence registration requirement for foreign nationals.

Brazilian citizens can now obtain multiple-entry visas for travel to Angola. New short-term and long-term visa options will facilitate business travel between Angola and Cape Verde. 

In Colombia, foreign nationals applying for new or renewed work visas must submit an executed employment or services contract with a Colombian entity. 

Under a new Dutch government policy, employers in the Netherlands must start paying Knowledge Migrants’ their salaries upon arrival, regardless of the contract start date or work authorization status.

These items and other news from Canada, Colombia, Worldwide/Africa and the United States follow in this edition of the Fragomen Immigration Update.

Remember that the Immigration Update is available through both e-mail and Web version by clicking on "View as Web Page" above.

 

Important Updates in Immigration This Week

China, October 16, 2014

Foreign Nationals Face Stricter Residence Registration Enforcement

China has introduced random residence checks and higher fines to enforce the residence registration requirement for foreign nationals. Foreign nationals must register their residence at a local police station within 24 hours of arrival. Those who have new immigration documents or have traveled internationally may need to update their registration.

To view entire article, click here.

 

Netherlands, October 15, 2014

Knowledge Migrants Must Be Paid Upon Arrival

Under a new Dutch government policy, employers in the Netherlands must start paying Knowledge Migrants’ salaries upon arrival regardless of the contract start date or work authorization status.

To view entire article, click here.

 

Angola, October 10, 2014

New Visas Ease Business Travel to Angola

Brazilian citizens can now obtain multiple-entry visas for travel to Angola. New short-term and long-term visa options will facilitate business travel between Angola and Cape Verde.

To view entire article, click here.

 

Colombia, October 16, 2014

Local Contracts Now Required for Work Visas

Foreign nationals applying for new or renewed work visas must submit an executed employment or services contract with a Colombian entity. Employers of intracompany transferees on home payroll must indicate in the local contract that their salaries will be paid from abroad.

To view entire article, click here.

 

Other Immigration News This Week

United States: DHS Extends Honduras and Nicaragua TPS – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has extended the designation of Honduras and Nicaragua for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for an additional 18 months, from January 6, 2015 through July 5, 2016. 

Current Honduras and Nicaragua TPS registrants will have from October 16, 2014 through December 15, 2014 to re-register. USCIS will issue new EADs with a July 5, 2016 expiration date to eligible Honduras and Nicaragua TPS beneficiaries who timely re-register and apply for EADs under this extension. 

DHS recognizes that not all re-registrants will receive new EADs before their current EADs expire on January 5, 2015. Accordingly, DHS will automatically extend the validity of EADs issued under the TPS designation of Honduras and Nicaragua for six months, through July 5, 2015. For Form I-9 employment eligibility verification purposes, through July 5, 2015, employers may accept a TPS-related EAD with a January 5, 2015 expiration date, along with a copy of the most recent Federal Register notice extending TPS for the relevant country.

Under the redesignation, eligible applicants who currently do not have TPS (or an initial TPS application pending) may submit a late initial application provided that they meet at least one of the late initial filing criteria and all TPS eligibility criteria, including continuous residence in the United States since December 30, 1998, and continuous physical presence in the United States since January 5, 1999.

United States: USCIS Updates H-2B Cap Count – USCIS reports that as of October 10, 2014, it had received filings on behalf of 9,162 H-2B beneficiaries for the first half of FY 2015. Of these, 7,790 had been approved and 1,372 remained pending. The cap for each half-year is 33,000, but USCIS accepts filings in excess of the cap because some cases will be denied or withdrawn and because employers may ultimately employ fewer H-2B beneficiaries than reflected in their petitions. 

Canada: Expedited Visa Program Is Expanded – Bulgarian and Romanian nationals traveling to Canada have been added to the list of foreign nationals eligible for an expedited business visa under the Business Express Program (BEP). The BEP visa is processed within three business days, allows multiple-entry stays of up to six months, and is valid for ten years. Applications are available at Canadian Visa Application Centers (VAC) in Bucharest and Sofia. 

Colombia: Facilitated Entry into Colombia Introduced – Foreign nationals traveling to Colombia are eligible for the Automatic Migration Service, a new digital entry and exit program that will replace the passport stamping process and expedite port-of-entry admission. The program is open to MERCOSUR citizens as well as Andean Community nationals with a biometric passport and valid Colombian visa. Expedited entry is also open to Colombian nationals with a biometric passport. 

To register, applicants must attend a registration interview and have their photograph and fingerprints taken at Colombia's immigration authority. The annual fee for the program is 150,000 Colombian pesos (approximately USD 73). 

Worldwide/Africa: Ebola Screenings at International Airports – Numerous international airports worldwide are conducting Ebola screenings for passengers arriving from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. This includes certain terminals at Heathrow and Gatwick Airports, London; Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Atlanta, GA; John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, NY; Newark International Airport, New Jersey; O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois; and Washington-Dulles International Airport, Washington, DC. Travelers leaving the affected countries will be screened with temperature checks and questionnaires about possible exposure and symptoms. 

Individuals planning travel to and from the affected region are advised to check the international SOS website for the most current advisories. In addition, foreign nationals should also check with their airlines before travelling to confirm whether a travel ban has been imposed or additional health screening is required.

 

Global Immigration News Links 

• At a recent town hall meeting, President Obama charged that it would be political suicide for House Republicans not to pass an immigration reform bill before the end of his presidency.
• The New York Times traces a young immigrant's journey from special registration to deportation proceedings to U.S. citizenship.
• According to the Wall Street Journal, reports show that 13.1 percent of the population in the United States is foreign-born, the highest immigrant population since 1920.
• 2014 marks the third straight year that the United States has seen a rise in undocumented immigration. The influx has been primarily associated with the increase in undocumented immigrants from Central America.
• The anti-immigration United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) has secured its first parliamentary seat.
• As Switzerland nears a November vote to limit the number of admitted immigrants to just 0.2 percent of the resident population, there are concerns about the impact of the referendum on trade with EU nations. Members of the Swiss business community have published an appeal against immigration limitations on EU citizens, warning of possible isolation from Europe.

 

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