Weekly Immigration Update: April 29–May 5, 2022

Canada: Overseas Services for Ukrainian Citizens Expanded – Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced the launch of a new Canada Information Center (CI Center) in Warsaw, Poland, offering in-person information services to Ukrainian citizens. Services include providing essential information in Ukrainian, English and French on what to expect when traveling to Canada, including guidance on pre- and post-arrival services. Additionally, a new temporary Canadian Biometric Operations Center has opened in Berlin, Germany, to further increase biometric enrollment capacity for applicants in Europe. More information is available on the IRCC website.     

European Union: ETIAS Expected to Become Fully Effective by May 2023 - The European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) is scheduled to become fully effective by May 2023. The ETIAS travel registration system will require visa-exempt non-EU nationals to pre-register travel for a small fee, similar to the U.S. ESTA system. In addition, the European Commission has reconfirmed that ETIAS will also apply to EU Member States that are not part of the Schengen Area, specifically Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania. This means that visa-exempt third-country nationals traveling to these EU non-Schengen countries will also have to apply for ETIAS ahead of their travel. Ireland is not part of the Schengen Area and is currently not planning to join; therefore, ETIAS will not be applicable to visa-exempt nationals traveling to Ireland.

European Union/United Kingdom: Clarification on 10-Year Passport Validity Cap – Fragomen has received reports of UK travelers being denied boarding to Schengen Area destinations for having passports that are valid for more than 10 years. Under UK rules, passports are issued for a 10-year validity plus the remaining validity of the prior passport, causing passports to be valid for over 10 years in some instances. Schengen rules require travelers to carry passports issued no more than 10 years before the entry date, and to have a remaining validity of at least three months beyond the planned return date. The European Commission recently confirmed the Schengen requirements to Fragomen and in the media, which is consistent with its position during the December 2021 Expert group for External Border Management discussion between the Commission and EU Member States. UK travelers with passports near the 10-year validity are advised to seek passport renewal with sufficient time to receive the new passport before travel, as passport renewal takes approximately 10 weeks and priority slots are difficult to obtain.

European Union: Schengen Visa Digitalization – The European Commission is proposing to digitalize the Schengen Visa application process, replacing the visa sticker with a secure online status. Digitalization is expected to harmonize and streamline the application process and make the visa status more secure. Applicants would only be required to visit a consular post or Visa Application Centre to submit biometric details after scheduling an appointment online. The proposal will now be negotiated by the European Parliament and the EU's Council of Ministers. If approved, the filing platform would be built and EU Member States would have five years to switch to the platform.

Indonesia: Fewer Single-Entry Visit Visa Extensions – Foreign nationals holding single-entry visit visas (including business visas) issued before April 16, 2022 are now limited to extending such visas once for 60 days, instead of the four-time, 30-day extensions previously allowed. Foreign nationals holding single-entry visit visas issued after April 16, 2022 cannot extend their visas at all. Affected applicants must apply for a new visa instead of seeking an extension.

Lesotho: Suspension of Indefinite Permit and Acquisition of Citizenship Lifted - The Ministry of Home Affairs has lifted the suspension of applications for indefinite permits and Lesotho citizenship. The suspension, implemented in September 2021, was aimed at identifying loopholes in these processes.

Luxembourg: In-country Biometric Appointment Delays Restrict Travel for Visa Nationals - Due to in-country appointment scheduling delays to submit biometrics, foreign nationals are receiving their Luxembourgish residence permit cards after several weeks to several months delay. This delay does not affect work start dates, as the biometrics step occurs after foreign nationals start work, but could restrict travel. Visa nationals are particularly affected, as they receive a long-stay visa valid for 90 days, and they are not permitted to exit and re-enter Luxembourg and the Schengen Area after the expiry of this visa without having their residence card.   

Panama: Visa Exemption for Nationals of South Korea Reinstated – Nationals of South Korea seeking to enter Panama for tourism or business are no longer required to obtain a visa-on-arrival and can instead enter under visa-exempt status for up to 90 days. Since August 2021, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had required nationals of South Korea seeking to enter Panama for tourism or business to obtain a visa-on-arrival for a maximum permissible stay of up 30 days, which included a payment of USD 60 at the airport. According to immigration authorities, the requirement was temporarily implemented to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

The Philippines: Visa-Free Entry for Fully-Vaccinated Ukrainian Nationals - The Philippine government introduced a concession that allows fully-vaccinated Ukrainian nationals to enter the Philippines visa-free by presenting proof of COVID-19 vaccination, a negative RT-PCR test result taken within 48 hours prior to departure or a negative antigen test taken within 24 hours prior to departure from the country of origin, and COVID-19 travel insurance with a minimum coverage of USD 35,000. Although fully-vaccinated travelers can enter the Philippines quarantine-free, they must still self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms for seven days from arrival and report to the local government unit if any symptoms are observed. Previously, Ukrainian nationals had to obtain an entry visa before entering the Philippines.

Gabon/Sao Tome and Principe: Visa Waiver Agreement Signed – The governments of Sao Tome and Principe and Gabon signed an agreement which, when adopted by both governments, will allow nationals of one country on diplomatic, official and ordinary passports to travel to the other country without a visa. The governments have not yet released information on how long nationals will be able to stay in each country under this program. The agreement is expected to become effective once the parliament of each country has adopted it. It is expected to increase tourism and business-related travel in both countries.

United Kingdom: Surcharge and Visa Refusals for Russians Possible per New Law - As part of a new Immigration Act dealing mainly with asylum and nationality matters, the UK government has been granted the power to create regulations that treat out-of-country visa applications differently depending on the nationality of the applicant.  Under such regulations, the government may suspend or refuse certain visa applications and/or require payment of a surcharge of GBP 190 on top of other government fees for nationals of certain countries. The regulations are expected to be applied to applications by Russian citizens and may be brought into force at any time.