Weekly Immigration Update: August 11–17, 2023

Belarus, August 17, 2023
New Work Permit Exemption Among Multiple Changes to Immigration Rules

Belarus’s foreign national employee regime has recently undergone multiple changes, including, among others:

• Eligible business travelers and those individuals in roles included on a government list of unrestricted foreign employee categories may qualify for a new work permit exemption;
• Employers no longer need to apply for an additional permit when seeking to hire more than 10 foreign nationals;
• Employers are no longer required to register foreign national employment agreements, although they must now notify migration authorities within three business days of the commencement or termination (and, in certain cases, the extension) of foreign national employment agreements; and
• With some exceptions, employers can no longer enter a certain type of fixed-term employment agreement with foreign employees, which provided certain employee benefits.

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United States, August 14, 2023
Reminder: Travel Tips for F-1 Students on OPT or Planning a Change of Status to H-1B

• If you are an F-1 student who has applied for or is working on optional practical training (OPT) or who is or will be the beneficiary of a petition to change status to H-1B in this year’s H-1B cap filing season, make sure you understand the risks and requirements of international travel.
• Traveling abroad while awaiting a change of status to H-1B could affect your F-1 status, your ability to change status, and your ability to reenter the United States.
• The summer transfer season for consular officers at U.S. consulates abroad may impact visa processing in the coming months.

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Oman, August 14, 2023
New Labor Law Overhauls Immigration System

• The government of Oman issued a new labor law which is in immediate effect and replaces regulations originally issued in 2003.
• The new law applies to all employers and employees, except those whose work is regulated by special law or regulations.
• Notable changes include a reduction of minimum weekly working hours, new mandatory employment contract terms, new possible forms of employment, the ability to change employers, and new rules surrounding Omanization, among others.
• The law is expected to promote transparency in workers’ rights while maintaining a balanced and beneficial employment relationship for both employers and employees.

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