European Union

Costa Rica: New visa rules to consolidate visa categories and change certain visa exemptions

The Costa Rican government has issued new visa rules for Non-Residents that will amend the visa requirements and the allowed periods of stay for certain nationalities in Costa Rica on or after December 14, 2016.

The official bulletin is available here (in Spanish) and the most notable changes will include the following:

  • Instead of the current four visa groups, nationalities will be divided into two main groups: visa-exempt nationals; and nationalities that require a consular or restricted entry visa, unless they possess one of following visas or statuses:

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Netherlands: EU Intra-company Transferee Permit to be implemented on November 29

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On November 29, 2016, an EU Intracompany Transferee (ICT) Permit will become available for qualified foreign managers, specialists and trainees who are sent from a company outside the European Union to a company in the Netherlands in the same corporate group.

Companies will no longer be able to use the Knowledge Migrant Scheme for such transfers, but the Scheme will still be available for local hires and transferred employees under a Dutch employment contract.

Foreign nationals who hold an EU ICT Permit in one EU Member State will more easily be able to work in other EU Member States under the permit.

Austria: EU employers must appoint document agent by January 1

Employers based in the European Union/European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland sending employees on assignment to Austria must appoint a document maintenance and information agent by January 1, 2017, according to a new law. For staffing assignments, appointing an agent is optional.

Employers can appoint an assigned employee who is in Austria during the entire project or a lawyer, notary or tax consultant based in Austria as the agent.

Employers must disclose the appointed agent and the document storage location at the beginning of every project, or at the latest with the first KIAB/ZKO filing that has a validity period on or after January 1, 2017.

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Romania: New law implements intra-company transferee rules

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Effective immediately, a new law delineates several changes related to intra-company transferees (ICTs) in Romania.

New ICT Permit Category

The new rules introduce the term ‘ICT worker’, defined as a non-European Economic Area/European Union/Swiss national who is transferred to Romania for up to three years as a manager or specialist, or for up to one year as a trainee, by an employer established in a third- country in the same corporate group.  One of the companies in the corporate group must be located in Romania.

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Switzerland: Third quarter quotas exhausted

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The third-quarter quotas for L- and B-Permits for European Union nationals on assignment lasting more than four months have been exhausted. Employers who wish to send EU nationals on assignment to Switzerland will need to wait until October 1, 2016, when fourth-quarter quotas become available.

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Eurpoean Union: Visa waiver policy for U.S. and Canadian citizens sustained

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The European Commission has decided not to suspend the visa waiver policy for U.S. and Canadian citizens, according to a communication released yesterday.

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UK: Home Office announcement clarifies rights of EU nationals in the United Kingdom

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A joint statement by the Cabinet Office, Home Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office has revealed that the government “fully expect that the legal status of EU nationals living in the UK, and that of UK nationals in EU member states, will be properly protected”.  

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Netherlands: EU service providers now subject to Dutch labour laws

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Employers based in the European Union who send workers to the Netherlands to provide services, transfer workers within a multinational company or who send workers through an employment agency must now comply with Dutch labour laws, according to a new law. The purpose of the law is to prevent companies from setting up fake service provision agreements to avoid Dutch laws.

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Brexit – What will this mean for UK immigration?

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Following the result of the UK’s EU referendum, which the Leave campaign won with 52% of the vote, there are many questions and uncertainty about the future UK immigration landscape.

The landmark result, which saw more than 30 million people vote, the highest turnout since 1992, has raised a number of concerns for EU nationals living and working in the UK.

Our UK immigration partner is confident that any outstanding or ongoing immigration applications presently with the Home Office for consideration will be unaffected.

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European Union: European commission adopts proposal for EU blue card scheme improvements

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In order to attract highly-skilled foreign workers to the European Union (excluding Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom), the European Commission has adopted a proposal to improve the EU Blue Card scheme. The new provisions must pass through the European Union’s standard decision-making process before adoption by the European Parliament and the Council.

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EU: Temporary border controls introduced and extended

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Due to the introduction and continuation of border controls in the European Union, travellers to Denmark, Belgium and other EU countries will need to present travel documents to enter from another Schengen country.