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.
Israel: Stricter regulations imposed for foreign workers and experts
A new regulation imposes stricter documentary and salary payment requirements for foreign experts, and process and entry changes for work visa applicants. The following are descriptions of key changes:
Foreign Experts
The regulation distinguishes between expert activities that require academic qualifications, and those that do not. For those who do not require an academic education, the employer must:
Kuwait: Kuwait expats to see 200% surge in health insurance fees
A Kuwait government plan to ban foreign workers getting access to public healthcare services will cause a series of consequences to the expatriate community, local media has reported.
Kuwaiti Economics Committee in the Supreme Council for Planning and Development recently proposed a two-layered alternative health plan for the three million of expats residing in Kuwait which would cause expatriates’ annual health insurance fees to triple to not less than KD150 ($493).
Belgium: New minimum salary levels announced for Brussels and Flemish regions
Effective January 1, 2016, the minimum base salary for several work permit categories will increase. Regional authorities for Brussels and Flanders have provided unofficial salary figures for 2016, but authorities for Wallonia have yet to do so. Until the 2016 salary thresholds are published officially, they remain subject to change.