A seminar with immigration officials has clarified several rules outlined in a decree published in May. Key clarifications are related to dependants automatic work authorisation, the elimination of the proof of residency requirement for business and work visa applicants and the status change rule for temporary residents and tourists. These rules are effective immediately (except those that require a separate Normative Resolution to be implemented) but may be subject to discretionary application by government officials. The clarifications are discussed below.
Venezuela: Public office closure to cause delays
All public offices, including public ministries, registries, notary offices, city halls, among other offices, will only operate on Mondays and Tuesdays until further notice, according to an announcement by the Venezuelan vice president. The previous Friday closures have been extended to further save energy resources.
Azerbaijan: Quota system implemented for work permits
A work permit quota system has been implemented in Azerbaijan. Prior to the start of each new year, the Cabinet of Ministers will announce the quota for foreign workers for the following year.
Quota Process
To comply with the new law, employers that intend to hire foreign nationals in Azerbaijan must follow the below process:
Vietnam: Work permit policy changes
A new short-term Work Permit exemption, faster work permit processing times, additional supporting document requirements for some foreign workers and other changes related to Work Permit applications have been announced by a Decree issued by the Ministry of Labour - Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA). The Decree is expected to take effect April 1, 2016, however, details and implementation plans for the new policies remain subject to change.
Romania: Work permit quotas for 2016 announced
The Romanian Government has announced that 5,500 spots will be available for foreign workers in 2016, the same number that was available in 2015. The General Immigration Inspectorate will start issuing work authorizations once this information has been published in the Official Gazette of Romania, which is expected to happen within the next few days.
Taiwan: Eased qualifications and criteria proposed for skilled foreign workers
As a follow-up to its plans to introduce a new points system last year, the Ministry of Labor (MOL) has proposed to ease the qualifications and criteria for hiring foreign nationals to provide more options for sponsors to recruit qualified white-collar foreign workers.
Employers would be able to utilize the proposed or existing application scheme when applying for a work permit, depending on the worker’s qualifications and technical skills.
UAE: New UAE rules to ensure healthy labour market
Abu Dhabi: Saqr Ghobash, Minister of Labour, has issued three ministerial decrees in an effort to enhance UAE labour market conditions and consolidate the contractual nature of labour relations.
The new rules, described by the minister as “a major milestone”, also seek to “close certain gaps pertaining to the enforcement and monitoring of labour relations, and provide for increased labour mobility in accordance with the provisions of our labour law”.
“I trust that these new decrees, together with the hard work ahead of us to improve our implementation and enforcement capacities, will translate into a qualitative leap in our quest to improve labour conditions in the UAE,” Ghobash said.
UAE: Relaxed Mobility Rules Among Policy Changes for 2016
New procedures that will impact the work permit application process for companies in the United Arab Emirates are expected to be implemented this month, according to a Ministry of Labour (MOL) announcement.
New Employment Contract and Offer Letter Requirements
The following procedures are expected to be implemented:
A standardized offer letter in Arabic, English and, if required, in a third language that the candidate understands, would have to be prepared through the MOL’s electronic system at a Tas’heel Service Centre. The offer letter would be signed by the employee and electronically by the employer. The signed offer letter would then be submitted to the MOL with other documents for the work permit application.
Dominican Repuplic: Short-term work visa application process streamlined
Short-term workers under the NM1 (Business Visa for Employment Purposes) visa should benefit from shorter visa and legalization processing times and a clarified application process. A restructuring of the visa program divides applicants into one of four new categories and implements relaxed documentary requirements, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.