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South Africa’s Ministry of Home Affairs extended the temporary concession for certain visa and waiver applications to March 31, 2025. Key Points: The Department of Home Affairs issued a directive stating that long-term visa applications, as well as appeal and waiver applications still pending as of Nov.
The government of Turkey announced an increase to the gross minimum wage to TRY 26,005.50 gross per month. Key Points: Effective Jan. 1, a new law entered into force updating the minimum salary levels by position including: High-level managers and pilots: TRY 130,027.50 (about US $3,694) gross per month — five
Netherlands officials have published the 2025 required salary thresholds for applications to work as a highly skilled migrant and for the European Blue Card. Key Points: Effective Jan. 1, 2025, individuals who seek to apply for the following categories must show proof that their monthly income
The application filing window to submit an H-2B Application for Temporary Employment Certification for work start dates of April 1, 2025 or later opens on Jan. 1, 2025 at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Key Points: H-2B applications requesting an April 1, 2025 work start date will
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced it will publish a revised edition of Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker on Jan. 17, 2025. Key Points: Form I-129 has been revised to align with the H-1B modernization final rule and
The Canadian government announced that temporary foreign workers who apply to become permanent residents through the Express Entry system will soon no longer get additional points if they have a job offer supported by a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). Key Points: On Dec. 17, the
The Canadian government announced work and study permits are no longer available to flagpolers at ports of entry. Key Points: As BAL reported in July, the government previously changed their policy for post-graduation work permits at the border in an effort to reduce
Philippine officials announced a policy change for Alien Employment Permit applications in Q1 2025. Key Points: The Department of Labor and Employment National Capital Region (DOLE NCR) announced that in the absence of a valid business/mayor’s permit for 2025, Alien Employment Permits (AEP) applications will be accepted with proof of filing
The South Korean government extended the temporary exemption for visitors from select countries from the Korea Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) requirement. Key Points: In March, South Korean authorities announced travelers from 22 countries, including Australia, Canada, Japan, Singapore and many EU countries,
On Dec. 17, 2024, officials from the State Department and Mexican government dedicated the new U.S. Embassy Mexico City. Key Points: The new U.S. Embassy Mexico City is designed to accommodate the operational demands of one of the largest U.S. diplomatic missions globally. The facility will
The Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (CIS Ombudsman) issued formal recommendations to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for improving family-based petition routing procedures and preventing post-approval delays. Key Points: The CIS Ombudsman serves as a liaison between the public and USCIS. USCIS
Chinese officials announced the stay duration for visa-free transit has been extended to 240 hours (10 days). Key Points: Officials published a notice regarding the visa-free transit policy, extending the stay duration for foreign nationals eligible for visa-free transit to 240 hours from the previous 72
The European Council agreed to lift land border controls in Bulgaria and Romania, paving the way for the two countries to fully join Europe’s Schengen area. Key Points: In March, checks were abolished on persons at EU internal air and maritime borders between Bulgaria and Romania
The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in India have centralized processing of nonimmigrant visa (NIV) interview cases and made changes to the visa rescheduling process that take effect Jan. 1, 2025. Key Points: NIV Consolidation H and L first-time visa interview appointments have
The New Zealand government announced significant changes to the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) in 2025. Key Points: The changes will be implemented in four different stages throughout 2025. Beginning Jan. 27, 2025, the government will remove the requirement for all current and future accredited employers
The Australian government introduced the National Innovation visa (NIV) (subclass 858), officially replacing the Global Talent visa and the Business Innovation and Investment visa. Key Points: The NIV is a permanent visa for exceptionally talented migrants that allows for work, study and stay for five years.
The Thai government announced the worldwide implementation of the electronic visa (e-Visa) system across 94 Royal Thai Embassies and Consulates-General. Key Points: Beginning Jan. 1, 2025, the new e-Visa system will be available through the official website. Officials also announced that
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the final rule for modernizing H-2 program requirements for temporary agricultural (H-2A) and temporary non-agricultural (H-2B) nonimmigrant workers and their employers. Key Points: The 400+ page rule modernizes and improves DHS regulations relating to
The Department of Homeland Security announced a final rule to modernize the H-1B visa program by clarifying the requirements of the H-1B program, providing more flexibility for petitioners and beneficiaries and strengthening program integrity measures. The final rule is scheduled to be published Dec. 18,
In our last episode of the year, Jonathan Nagel provides an advisory update on the new European travel systems, and Gabriel Castro and Kristi Ngo suggest their favorite immigration-themed books, movies and media you may want to discover