HIGHLIGHTS
- Federal Judge Blocks Executive Order on Sanctuary Cities
- France Presidential Election Enters Final Stage
- Ukraine Amends Visa Issuance and Processing Rules
- Countries Observing Labor Day on Monday May 1st
Federal Judge Blocks Executive Order on Sanctuary Cities
On Tuesday, April 25th, U.S. Federal District Court Judge William Orrick blocked President Trump’s latest immigration-related Executive Order, which was aimed at making compliance with immigration laws mandatory. The executive order explicitly focused on immigration enforcement actions in “Sanctuary Cities”—a broad term for U.S. cities with official policies of limiting cooperation between city officials and federal immigration enforcement authorities.
Specifically, Section 9(a) of Trump’s “Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States” Order withholds federal funding for cities who do not comply with immigration enforcement authorities. Judge Orrick, in putting a temporary halt on the enforcement of this order, concluded that “Federal funding that bears no meaningful relationship to immigration enforcement cannot be threatened merely because a [city] chooses an immigration enforcement strategy of which the President disapproves.”
The latest ruling marks the third time federal courts have blocked this administration’s immigration-related Executive Orders.
French Presidential Election Enters Final Stage
After preliminary voting in the 2017 France Presidential Election, Emmanuel Macron, of the En Marche! party, and Marine Le Pen, of the National Front party, are the two remaining presidential candidates. The final round of voting will occur on May 7th.
Notably, each candidate has put forth different plans for France’s immigration system.
Macron favors globalization, an increase in visas for qualified candidates, and a reduction in visa backlogs. Le Pen favors a reduction of the country’s immigration quotas and narrower pathways to citizenship.
The final round of elections is scheduled for May 7th. Macron is favored to win.
EIG will continue to monitor how this election affects French immigration policy and regulations, and will provide updates as information becomes available.
Ukraine Amends Visa Issuance and Processing Rules
On April 16, 2017, new procedures and updates to Ukraine’s visa issuance processes went into effect. The changes aim to simplify visa issuance and attract more visitors to Ukraine.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine implemented a new procedure to allow electronic visa applications, where applicants are able to apply, pay fees, and monitor the status of the visa application online. This includes a new online portal for processing 30-day business or tourism visas. In other updates, visa invitation letters may now be provided by a host company or Ukrainian resident and no longer need to be obtained from the State Migration Service.
Ukraine has also decreased the consular processing time to secure the issuance of visas within 10 days of the visa application submission. Applicants will also enjoy reduced visa fees as Ukraine instituted a flat fee of US$65 for any kind of visa, supplanting the previous fees of US$130 for double-entry visas and US$200 fee for multiple-entry visas.
To learn more about the changes to Ukraine’s visa processing, visit http://mfa.gov.ua/en/consular-affairs/con/visa.
Countries Observing Labor Day on Monday May 1st
Countries around the world will be celebrating May Day and Labor Day on Monday May 1st. In recognition of the holiday, government offices and many businesses, will be closed in countries including:
- France
- Ireland
- Russia
- Spain
- United Kingdom
- China
- Malaysia
- Philippines
- Singapore
- Argentina
- Mexico
The US celebrates Labor Day on the first Monday in September.