Colombia: Mercosur Visa temporary suspension
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has suspended the issuance of Migrant Mercosur Visas for Chilean nationals.
Chilean nationals must re-evaluate existing migratory alternatives to enter and remain in Colombia on a regular migratory status.
However, the validity will be respected for those foreign nationals still holding a Mercosur Visa.
Diplomatic relations between Colombia and Venezuela break down
Consulate services in Colombia and Venezuela have stopped and further requests will not be processed until further notice.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has enabled an online platform for Venezuelans who wish to apply for a Colombian visa.
Colombian nationals requiring a visa or any other Venezuelan Consulate service must wait for offices to resume normal activities.
Please contact crown if you require help with completing the process.
This summary was prepared using information obtained from Tannus & Asociados.
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 and Regional Immigration Manager, Americas.
Hong Kong: Immigration Department’s revised fees
As of  25 March, 2019, all affected services will be charged according to the fees attached in the Annex.
The Immigration Department regularly reviews how they handle various applications and services with a view to improving their cost effectiveness and quality.
The Immigration Department will revise fees for some services, including the issuance of visas/entry permits and travel documents, genetic tests and the dispatch of travel documents outside Hong Kong.
The fees will increase from 9 to 21 percent.
This summary was prepared using information obtained from Hong Kong Immigration Department.
 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 Kevin Le, Immigration Manager, Hong Kong or Debra Beynon, Regional Immigration Manager, APAC.
India: Person of Indian Origin converts to Overseas Citizens of India
To avoid denied entry/exit to/from India, all Person of India (PIO) cardholders (machine and non-machine readable) must obtain an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card before March 31, 2019. This policy is intended to align India’s entry/exit rules with the International Civil Aviation Organization. This will encourage the use of machine-readable travel documents to prevent fraud and streamline immigration clearance at airports. Travelers who have not obtained an OCI before March 31 will be required to obtain a visa or exit permit.
Key considerations
All applications must be lodged at the respective local FRRO (Foreigner Regional Registration Office), overseas mission or consulate of jurisdiction.
Crown advises to complete the process as soon as possible. Applications may be considered after the due date (at the discretion of the authorities and subjected to a late penalty).
This summary was prepared using information obtained from Little India news.
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 or Bopanna Nanjappa, Immigration Manager for India.
Malaysia: New upper age limit announced
The Expatriate Services Division (ESD) has announced a new upper age limit for dependent children applying for Long Term Social Visit Passes (LTSVP).
Dependent children can now apply if they are aged between 18 and 25 on the date of submission. In addition, all supporting documentation confirming an applicant’s status and dependency must be signed in the presence of a Commissioner for Oaths.
To date, the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), which processes Employment Pass applications for Information Communication Technology companies, has not communicated an equivalent change. Certain family members of Employment Pass holders of category 1 or 11 qualify as dependents. A spouse or child aged 17 and under may qualify for a dependent pass. Other direct dependents, including an unmarried partner, children aged 18-25 and parents may qualify for an LTSVP via the ESD.
This summary was prepared using information obtained from the Expatriate Services Division.
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 Debbie Beynon, Regional Immigration Manager, APAC.
Philippines: Alien Employment Permit cancellation
Non-immigrant foreign nationals and their dependents under the 9(g) pre-arranged employment visa are required to apply for temporary visitor status in order for their stays to remain legal.
In addition to changing their status, they must also cancel their ACR I-Card, obtain an Emigration Clearance Certificate (ECC) and cancel their AEP with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Each cancellation request must include the following:
- Letter requesting the cancellation
- Original AEP card
- Letter from the company or employee authorizing the representative or liaison officer
- Location or map of the company address
DOLE has issued an advisory amending the existing guidelines for Alien Employment Permit (AEP) cancellations. This change took effect on March 1, 2019.
This summary was prepared using information obtained from the DOLE advisory board. This announcement is not available of the time of writing.
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 Debbie Beynon, Regional Immigration Manager, APAC.
United Kingdom: EU Settlement Scheme
Following a successful pilot period, the British government has announced that o
n March 30, 2019, the EU Settlement Scheme will be available to all Swiss and European Economic Area applicants and their families. This includes family members of British nationals who were exercising their free movement rights under EU law before returning to the U.K. It has also been confirmed that nationals from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are included in this Scheme.
The outcome of the pilot has been as follows:
- 75% of the applicants have received a decision within three days
- None of the applications have been refused
- 80% of the applicants who provided feedback, confirmed the online process as easy or fairly easy to complete.
- Application processing times have been very short
The Immigration Minister of State reiterated the U.K. government’s emphasis on protecting EU nationals’ rights and its hope to encourage EU nationals to remain in the U.K. permanently.
Click here to find out more information on what this mean.
Key considerations
We expect that processing times for settlement applications will increase once the EU Settlement Scheme opens.
If the U.K. Parliament agreement is rejected on the withdrawal agreement, another vote will be held covering whether the U.K. could leave without an agreement. If the U.K. Parliament rejects leaving the EU without an agreement, a further vote will be held on whether to ask EU countries to agree to postpone Brexit day.
This summary was prepared by using information from the U.K. Government.
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 Laxmi Vikraman, Immigration Team Lead, EMEA.
Vietnam: Work permits, early termination and related forms
The Ministry of Labour in Vietnam has announced new work permit application forms. They’ve also re-introduced the requirement to notify a provincial Department of Labour regarding the early termination of work permits. The implementation of these new processes is ongoing and start dates will vary per province.
Early termination notification for work permit
An official form will not be introduced for the notification process. Instead, the labor authorities will confirm receipt of a notification report or the original work permit.
Some provinces have special requirements
Sponsoring employers are expected to notify the Department of Labour in Ho Chi Minh in writing. The host entity should collect and retain the original work permit
Hanoi’s Department of Labour has requested the return of the original work permit.
Notification is not required if a work permit is terminated due to expiration.
This summary was prepared using information obtained from Peregrine Immigration Management.
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 Debbie Beynon, Regional Immigration Manager, APAC.
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