New Zealand PAC and Samoan Quota Ballot Draw: May 20, 2026
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has announced that the ballots for the Pacific Access Category (PAC) Resident Visa and Samoan Quota (SQ) Resident Visa to select who will be
Read More »France Residence Permit Fees Increase (May 2026): New Rates and Taxes
The government has announced increases in the cost of the tax that a foreign national must pay for the issuance of a residence permit, effective May 1, 2026. To obtain
Read More »Finland Proposes Immigration Reforms for International Students (2026–2027)
On April 30, 2026, the government announced two proposed legislative packages to address the income difficulties faced by some international students in Finland. The first
Read More »Sweden Announces New Residence Rules for Researchers, Doctoral Candidates and Students (June 11, 2026)
The Swedish parliament (Riksdag) has approved the government’s proposed new residence rules for researchers, doctoral candidates and students. The Riksdag also approved
Read More »Malaysia Cuts Online Appeal Deadline to 14 Days for EP and PVP Rejections
On April 30, 2026, the Expatriate Services Division (ESD) of the Malaysian Immigration Department announced a significant reduction in the deadline for submitting online
Read More »India Updates Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Rules and Fees (April 2026)
In April 2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) made several updates to the rules for obtaining an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card. This follows the passing of the
Read More »House Approves DHS Funding Bill, Ending Prolonged Shutdown
The US House of Representatives has passed legislation to fund most operations of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), bringing an end to the agency’s longest
Read More »USCIS Reaches Cap for Second Allocation of Returning Worker H‑2B Visas for FY 2026
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it has received enough petitions to reach the cap for the second allocation of returning worker H‑2B
Read More »DHS Announces Consequences for Unpaid Annual Asylum Fees and New H.R. 1 Requirements
On April 28, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced an interim final rule, effective May 29, 2026, to implement immigration fees and requirements from the
Read More »Canada Extends Interim Proof of Work Letters to 365 Days
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has increased the validity period of WP-EXT letters to 365 days (previously 180 days) in updated instructions to its
Read More »Saudi Arabia Saudization Updates: Qiwa Contract Documentation Impacts Nitaqat Calculations
Nitaqat is a nationalization (Saudization) program put in place by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) that requires establishments operating in
Read More »Denmark Sets New Salary Levels for Herdsmen and Farm Managers
The Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) has announced that 3F (agricultural trade union) and GLS-A (agricultural employers’ association) have
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