Immigration weekly update: April 06, 2023

Immigration news update for AMER and EMEA regions


Americas

Canada: New immigration pathwayToronto, Canada

The Canadian government has announced a new immigration pathway under the federal Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP). Expected to start in the summer of 2023, the aim of this pathway is to connect Canadian employers with skilled refugees and displaced persons. The in-demand positions will include jobs such as nurse aids, personal support workers, long-term care aids, software engineers, web designers, mechanical and electrical engineers and technicians, teachers, tourism and hospitality workers, and truck and delivery service drivers.

This summary was prepared using information obtained from CIC News

Update on the Temporary Foreign Worker Program

The Canadian government has decided to prolong the temporary measures under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), which were introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program was developed to maintain the critical labour shortages and help with recovery of Canadian economy. The temporary measures with validity until October 30, 2023, now include:

  • Low-wage positions in seven sectors, such as accommodation and food services, construction, and food manufacturing, are now allowed to hire up to 30% of their workforce through TFWP.
  • A validity of Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), a document which is needed for an employer to obtain before hiring a foreign national, is kept for up to 18 months. As of April 03,2023, it will be available to request LMIA for TFWP through online portal.
  • The maximum duration of employment for foreign nationals hired through the TFWP is up to two years.

This summary was prepared using information obtained from the Government of Canada

Disclaimer: The above information is provided for general information purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. If you have any further inquiries regarding the applicability of this information, please contact Roberta Carnaccini (Global Operations Director, Immigration) or Rafael Pavanelli (Regional Immigration Manager, AMER).


Europe, Middle East and Africa

South Africa: Automatic extension of residence permit applicationsSouth Africa

The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) is aiming to reduce a backlog of residence permit applications by introducing the following temporary measures:

  • Applicants with waiver application outcomes still pending: a temporary extension until December 31, 2023 will be granted to long-term visa holders whose waiver applications are still pending as of March 31, 2023. It is also possible to abandon the waiver application and depart from South Africa without being declared undesirable.
  • Applicants with visa applications still pending: a temporary extension until December 31, 2023, will be granted to long-term visa holders who are part of 62,692 visa backlog applications. Travelling is possible for those applicants who originate from countries that are visa-exempt and visa application receipts need to be presented on arrival back to South Africa.

For non-visa exempted applicants who travelled out of South Africa, a Visitor’s Visa will be required in order for them to enter back into the country.

  • Short-Term Visa holders (90 days) extensions: Short term visa holders who have not received their visa extension outcome by March 31, 2023, must arrange departure on or before 30 April, 2023, to avoid being declared undesirable.

These temporary measures are valid for foreign nationals who have submitted the visa applications before March 31, 2023.

This summary was prepared using information obtained from the Department of Home Affairs

Disclaimer: The above information is provided for general information purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. If you have any further inquiries regarding the applicability of this information, please contact Roberta Carnaccini (Global Operations Director, Immigration) or Sabrina Crespo (Team Lead, EMEA). 


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