The current social and political climate in Venezuela is having a significant impact on both citizens and immigrants interacting with immigration authorities. In this article we provide an update on the situation and its implications for those dealing with immigration processes.

Venezuela’s political environment is unstable.

The country is experiencing substantial instability following elections on July 28, 2024, in which Nicolás Maduro was declared re-elected as President. This outcome has sparked widespread protests across Venezuela. A significant portion of the electorate disputes the results, leading to ongoing demonstrations.

Several countries, including Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay, have officially rejected the election results, resulting in the suspension of diplomatic relations with Venezuela. Consequently, Venezuelan embassies in these countries have ceased operations. This has a direct impact on services such as passport issuance, visas, legalizations, and travel documents, leaving many Venezuelan nationals abroad without access to essential consular services.

Local immigration authority disruptions.

In Venezuela, local immigration authorities like SAIME (Servicio Administrativo de Identificación, Migración y Extranjería), MOFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), and SAREN (Servicio Autónomo de Registros y Notarías) are not officially suspended but are mostly closed to the public. This closure severely hampers services related to immigration processes. Despite these closures, the platform for obtaining police records remains operational. However, national and international courier services are experiencing significant delays, further complicating the situation for those needing to send or receive important documents.

Impact on immigrants and citizens.

For citizens and immigrants, the current situation poses several challenges:

Access to services: With embassies and local authorities either closed or operating at minimal capacity, obtaining necessary documentation such as passports and visas is extremely difficult.

Delays and uncertainty: The delays in courier services add another layer of uncertainty, making it challenging for individuals to meet immigration requirements or deadlines.

Consular support: Venezuelan nationals abroad face the challenge of limited consular support, affecting their ability to renew documents or seek assistance for immigration-related issues.

Support and assistance is available.

Our representatives in Venezuela are doing their best to operate under the current circumstances. If you or your employees are affected by these disruptions, we are here to provide guidance and support through our network partners in Caracas and our global offices.

As always, don’t hesitate to reach out to your Newland Chase dedicated contact or submit an inquiry here should you have any specific questions regarding this announcement.

This immigration update is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal or scenario-specific advice. Furthermore, it is important to note that immigration announcements are subject to sudden and unexpected changes. Readers are encouraged to reach out to Newland Case for any case- or company-specific assessments.  

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In an effort to streamline work and student permit processes, the Swedish Migration Agency has introduced a pilot scheme to allow nationals from 23 countries to complete the passport verification requirement using an application on their mobile phone or computer instead of attending in person to a Swedish Embassy or Consulate. Eligible applicants include nationals from Albania, Argentina, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Georgia, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Peru, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, UK, Ukraine, and the USA.

It is anticipated that eligible applicants will receive an email from the Swedish Migration Agency within a few days of submission of the work or student permit application. The email will contain a link to the online service to complete the verification process online.

The introduction of the online verification will hopefully allow faster processing of applications and will be more cost effective to applicants. However, with many new online services, there may be some potential issues during the initial implementation phase.

As always, don’t hesitate to reach out to your Newland Chase dedicated contact or submit an enquiry here should you have any specific questions regarding this announcement.

This immigration update is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal or scenario-specific advice. Furthermore, it is important to note that immigration announcements are subject to sudden and unexpected changes. Readers are encouraged to reach out to Newland Chase for any case or company-specific assessments.

The post SWEDEN – Simplified Passport Checks appeared first on Newland Chase.

On April 11, 2024, in a swift reversal, Peruvian authorities revoked the planned suspension of a visa exemption for Mexican ordinary passport holders. The suspension had been announced earlier the same week and was due to become effective on April 24, 2024.

The planned suspension would have required Mexican ordinary passport holders who wished to visit Peru for tourism or business purposes to apply for an appropriate visa before travel at the nearest Peruvian diplomatic mission in their country of citizenship or ordinary residence. Travelers in possession of a visa or permanent residence status for certain countries (the United States, Canada, Schengen Area members, and others) were exempted from the planned requirement.

Following the subsequent revocation of the suspension, Mexican ordinary passport holders seeking to visit Peru for tourist or business purposes remain exempt from visa requirements for a maximum period of stay of up to 183 calendar days, either continuously or in consecutive visits, during a one-year period.

As always, don’t hesitate to reach out to your Newland Chase dedicated contact should you have any specific questions regarding this announcement.

This immigration update is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal or scenario-specific advice. Furthermore, it is important to note that immigration announcements are subject to sudden and unexpected changes. Readers are encouraged to reach out to Newland Chase for any case or company-specific assessments. 

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Effective April 24, 2024, the Peruvian visa exemption for Mexican ordinary passport holders for tourist and business visits to Peru will be suspended. Mexican ordinary passport holders who wish to visit Peru for tourism or business purposes must apply for an appropriate visa at the nearest Peruvian diplomatic mission in their country of citizenship or ordinary residence before travel.

However, the following Mexican passport holders remain exempt from tourist and business visa requirements for up to 180 calendar days, either as a continuous visit or several consecutive visits during a one-year period, and are not required to apply for a visa before travel:

The holder of a visa for the United States of America, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, or any member state of the Schengen area (see Note 1), with a minimum validity of six months.

The holder of permanent residence status as a foreigner for the United States of America, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, any member state of the Schengen area, or any member state of the Pacific Alliance (see Note 2).

Newland Chase insights

The visa exemption suspension by the Peruvian government is in response to the Mexican government’s decision on April 6, 2024, to temporarily suspend the visa exemption enjoyed by Peruvian passport holders for travel to Mexico for tourism or business purposes with effect from April 20, 2024. The decision was taken due to an exponential increase in the number of irregular Peruvian migrants travelling through Mexico to reach the United States and Canada, which has created a humanitarian emergency. It is hoped that this measure will stop migrants from putting their lives, health and human rights at risk.

This immigration update is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal or scenario-specific advice. Furthermore, it is important to note that immigration announcements are subject to sudden and unexpected changes. Readers are encouraged to reach out to Newland Chase for any case or company-specific assessments.

Notes:

1. The member states of the Schengen area include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

2. The member states of the Pacific Alliance, include Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru.

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On 14 November, Legislative Decree No. 1582 was published, modifying Peru’s existing immigration statues to create a new Digital Nomad-Residence immigration category. This allows individuals to live in Peru for up to one year (365 days) while carrying out work activities remotely for companies based outside of Peru.

Holders of the Digital Nomad-Residence immigration status are not allowed to earn a salary for work performed within Peru, or to work for a company domiciled in Peru. Work must be performed remotely for a company located outside of Peru.

While Decree No. 1582 went into effect on 15 November, details of how the new immigration will work have yet to be defined. The status will be granted by the National Superintendence of Migration (MIGRACIONES). No application process has yet been announced. Nor have any specifications, such as minimum required salary, or other financial requirements established. The one-year status may be extended after the initial 365 days have concluded.

Immigration Insights

Announcement for the Digital Nomad-Residence immigration category is exciting for remote workers looking to spend time in Latin America. We will continue to monitor the progress of the new digital nomad category Peru, providing updates on how to apply as they become available.

This immigration update is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal or scenario-specific advice. Furthermore, it is important to note that immigration announcements are subject to sudden and unexpected changes. Readers are encouraged to reach out to Newland Chase for any case- or company-specific assessments.

The post PERU – Digital Nomad Visa Proposed appeared first on Newland Chase.

Most available quotas are only available to nationals of the following countries, which have signed specific cooperation agreements on migration with Italy: Albania, Algeria, Bangladesh, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kosovo, Mali, Mauritius, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Republic of North Macedonia, Senegal, Serbia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tunisia, and Ukraine.

In addition, some quotas are reserved for nationals of countries which will enter into agreements on cooperation on migration during the year 2023, while others have no such nationality restriction.

The quotas for 2023 are:

• 44,000 for seasonal subordinate work in the agricultural and tourist-hotel sectors for nationals of the countries with an existing cooperation agreement on migration as listed above;
• 30,105 for non-seasonal subordinate work in the sectors road haulage for third parties, construction, tourism-hotel, mechanics, telecommunications, food and shipbuilding; of these 24,105 are for nationals of the countries with an existing agreement as listed above, and 6000 for nationals of countries still to enter into agreement during 2023;
• 7000 for the conversion of certain existing residence permits into subordinate and autonomous work residence permits;
• 1000 for people who have completed training and education programs abroad as approved by the Ministry of Labour and Education;
• 500 for autonomous workers such as entrepreneurs, freelancers, start-up, professionals, famous artists and directors and auditors of Italian companies;
• 100 for people residing in Venezuela who have Italian origin up to the third-degree direct line of ancestry through at least one parent.

Applications for permits pursuant to the “decreto flussi” for 2023 can be filed from 27 March onwards until the 31 December 2023, provided quotas are still available. 60 days after the quotas open up the authorities can decide to change the subdivision of these quotas if permit demands require this.

Frequently used permits for highly skilled or highly qualified employees, like the EU ICT permit, the non- quota work permit for intra company transferees and the EU Blue Card, as well as the permit for foreign service providers are not subject to the above-mentioned quotas.

Newland Chase Insights

Companies which do not qualify for non-quota work permits for their employees should file their applications for work permits for 2023 under the quota system as soon as possible after the 27th of March – not only to ensure that permits are still available, but also because Italian immigration processes generally take a long time to complete. Newland Chase is able to assist you with both applications under the quota system as well as with non-quota applications.

This immigration update is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal or scenario-specific advice. Furthermore, it is important to note that immigration announcements are subject to sudden and unexpected changes. Readers are encouraged to reach out to Newland Chase for any case- or company-specific assessments.

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Peruvian law mandates that the authorities approve or review any applications within thirty (30) days from submission. However, given the current situation in the country, processing times are protracted from thirty (30) days to about four (4) or five (5) months.

Newland Chase Insights

It is highly recommended to allot longer lead times for any transfers or assignments to Peru taking into consideration the delays in processing the applications submitted to the authorities.

As always, don’t hesitate to reach out to your Newland Chase dedicated contact or submit an inquiry here should you have any specific questions regarding this announcement.

This immigration update is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal or scenario-specific advice. Furthermore, it is important to note that immigration announcements are subject to sudden and unexpected changes. Readers are encouraged to reach out to Newland Chase for any case- or company-specific assessments.

The post PERU: Significant Processing Delays appeared first on Newland Chase.

In preparation for travelers heading to the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, the authorities have announced that any foreigners traveling from 1 November 2022 to Qatar should procure a Hayya Card prior to entering the country, except Qatari Residence permit holders.

However, there is no clear information from the authorities as as to whether travelers on Qatar temporary work visas are required to secure a Hayya card. No other standard visit/travel/visa-free/visa-on- arrival permits will be issued during this period and Hayya will be considered as the entry permit.

Residents of United Arab Emirates and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries will also need a Hayya card to enter Qatar starting from 1 November 2022. This requirement is applicable to all travelers intending to visit Qatar, irrespective of whether they are traveling to attend the FIFA World Cup, for leisure, or any other purpose.

Those with confirmed match tickets can apply for a Hayya card now. The traveler’s accommodation will also need to be validated during the process. To apply for a digital Hayya Card, and to book accommodation, please visit Qatar2022.qa or download the Hayya to Qatar 2022 app (available on iOS and Android).

Hayya Card is operated by the government of the State of Qatar. For any questions relating to the digital Hayya Card please contact info@hayya.qa or call 800.2022 (Qatar) or (+974) 4441.2022 (International). Please contact enquiries@book.qatar2022.qa, for enquiries regarding the accommodation options.

Qatar Travel Prior to 1 November 2022

Travelers who intend to travel to Qatar before 1 November 2022 may be permitted to entry the country based on the below categories of visas. If the traveler intends to attend FIFA World Cup 2022 matches, they will still need to secure a Hayya card to access the stadium.

Visa on Arrival – 90 days

Nationals of the countries listed in the table below can secure a visa on arrival for 180 days from the date of issuance and are entitled to stay in Qatar only for 90 days, during either a single trip or on multiple trips.

Visa on arrival – 30 days + extendable 30 days

Nationals of the countries listed in the table below can secure a visa on arrival for 30 days from the date of issuance and are entitled to spend up to 30 days in Qatar, during either a single trip or on multiple trips. The visa on arrival can be extended for a further 30 days in-country.

India and Pakistan

Citizens of India and Pakistan are eligible to apply for the 30-day visa waiver/visa on arrival for single or multiple-entry visits during the 30 days from the date of initial issuance. However, there are some additional rules in place.

• Travelers from India and Pakistan should have passport validity for a minimum of six months or more.
• Travelers must carry confirmed return tickets.
• Hotel quarantine booking for the number of days advised (currently one day which ends after proof of a negative test).
• Travelers must carry a valid credit card or a minimum cash amount of USD 1400 (may vary and recommended to check with the carrying airline prior to making travel plans).
• Hotel bookings for the duration of the stay must be booked in advance through the Discover Qatar website.
• Travelers from both countries should have a certificate confirming a negative PCR test completed during the 72 hours from the time of arrival.
• Travelers must be fully vaccinated with vaccines approved by the Ministry of Public Health and have completed a period of 14 days after the last dose.
• Those coming directly from Pakistan should also present a certificate of vaccination against polio.
• Passengers arriving in Qatar must download and activate the Ehteraz app upon arrival at Qatar’s entry ports.

Visa-Free Entry for GCC Nationals

GCC nationals do not need a visa to travel to Qatar. This applies to citizens of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.

For general advice and information on immigration and business travel to Qatar, please contact us.

This immigration update is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal or scenario-specific advice. Furthermore, it is important to note that immigration announcements are subject to sudden and unexpected changes. Readers are encouraged to reach out to Newland Chase for any case- or company-specific assessments.

The post QATAR: Traveling to the FIFA World Cup 2022 appeared first on Newland Chase.

First announced in early January, the change stemmed from recent significant increases to the number of Venezuelan nationals entering Mexico for a different purpose other than those authorized by migratory officials.

Note that the following Venezuelan citizens will remain visa exempt:

• Permanent Residents of Canada, Japan, any Pacific Alliance country (Chile, Colombia, and Peru), any Schengen Area country, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
• Holder of a valid visa from Canada, Japan, any Schengen Area country, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Newland Chase Insights

This change will increase travel timeframes and costs for Venezuelan business travelers and tourists. As such, employers and affected Venezuelan citizens alike should take note of the change and understand that these applicants will need to obtain a consular visa prior to their entry into Mexico. Processing time for visas will vary depending on the specific Mexican consular post adjudicating the application, but are typically several days to upwards of two weeks.

As always, don’t hesitate to reach out to your Newland Chase dedicated contact or submit an inquiry here should you have any specific questions regarding this announcement.

This immigration update is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal or scenario-specific advice. Furthermore, it is important to note that immigration announcements are subject to sudden and unexpected changes. Readers are encouraged to reach out to Newland Case for any case- or company-specific assessments.

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