Immigration news updates for APAC and EMEA regions
Asia-Pacific
India: PIO validity extended to December 2025
In a significant move, Indian Immigration has announced an extension for the validity of all Person of Indian Origin (PIO) cards, including handwritten ones. These cards, when accompanied by a valid foreign passport, will now be accepted as valid travel documents until December 31, 2025. This extends the previous deadline of December 31, 2024.
Key Points of the announcement:
- Validity Extension: All PIO cards that were valid as of January 9, 2015, will continue to be accepted for entry into and exit from India until the new deadline of December 31, 2025.
- ICAO Compliance: This extension is conditional. If the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) issues a deadline that invalidates handwritten PIO cards, holders will need to obtain an appropriate visa from Indian Missions or Posts.
- Advisory for PIO Cardholders: All PIO cardholders, whether they possess handwritten or machine-readable cards, are advised to convert their PIO cards to Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards before the deadline.
This extension provides a valuable window for PIO cardholders to ensure their travel documents remain valid and to transition to OCI cards, which offer lifelong visa-free travel to India. It is advisable for all PIO cardholders to take prompt action to convert their cards to avoid any inconvenience in the future.
This summary was prepared using information obtained from the Embassy of India and OCI Services
New Zealand: Visa allocation for international students
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) is changing how they allocate international student visa applications from students in New Zealand to improve flexibility and efficiency during the summer processing peak. INZ will prioritize applications from students in New Zealand who are applying for a second or subsequent visa with a new provider or for a different course, as these students need new Immigration conditions before commencing their course. However, being allocated first does not guarantee the application will be decided in that order and INZ will continue to process other international student visa applications in date order.
This summary was prepared using information obtained from the New Zealand Immigration
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 Debra Beynon (Regional Immigration Manager, APAC).
Europe, Middle East and Africa
Hungary: New work permit rules for 2025
The new Hungarian immigration law of 2024 introduced changes that affected only two types of residence permits: Residence permit for employment purposes and Residence permit for guest workers. The new rules apply only to new applications submitted after January 1, 2025.
Guest Worker Residency:
- Available only to strategic partners of the Hungarian government or licensed labor rental agencies.
- Restricted to certain manual labor positions and nationals of specific countries.
- The list of eligible countries has been reduced to Armenia, Georgia and Philippines, with potential additions in the future.
Residency for Employment Purposes:
- This permit is for third-country nationals not eligible for other types of residence permits.
- New applications will be limited to citizens of countries with agreements with the Hungarian government.
- Countries must have an office in Hungary to ensure compliance with immigration laws.
- The list of eligible countries is not yet available and will be published gradually.
This summary was prepared using information obtained from the Embassy of Hungary Cairo
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 Director of Immigration).
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