EIG COVID-19 Update | June 15, 2020

With our mission to uncomplicate the complicated, we’ve always thought of our work in immigration as people-first. Our goal is for these emails to make sense of the changes happening across the world. Please share these updates with your colleagues who may find this information helpful, too.

International Updates

Canada | Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced airline passengers’ temperatures would be taken before they fly, and anyone with a fever will not be allowed to travel. The screenings for those arriving in Canada will begin by the end of June, and for domestic travelers and departures by the end of July.
Case Update: 467 new cases, 54 daily change, Last updated: 2020/6/15 12:00 PM CEST

El Salvador | President Nayib Bukele said the country’s economy would reopen in stages beginning June 16.  The airport will not open until August 6.
Case Update: 14 new cases, 5 daily change, Last updated: 2020/6/15 12:00 PM CEST

Finland | Now that the coronavirus infection rate has slowed, the government is ending the emergency powers act on Monday at midnight. The state of emergency was first implemented in March.
Case Update: 14 new cases, 5 daily change, Last updated: 2020/6/15 12:00 PM CEST

France | Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said the country would reopen to foreign travelers, outside the Schengen Zone, in phases from July 1.
Case Update: 393 new cases, -171 daily change, Last updated: 2020/6/15 12:00 PM CEST

Greece | International airports have reopened, and flights have resumed after three months of lockdown. Passengers from regions with high rates of infections or deemed a high-risk will be tested upon arrival and quarantined for up to 14 days, depending on the test results.
Case Update: 4 new cases, -16 daily change, Last updated: 2020/6/15 12:00 PM CEST

India | Following infection spikes in Chennai, the lockdown will be reimposed locally beginning on Friday, June 19, through the end of the month. The lockdown will apply to Chennai, and neighboring districts, Thiruvallur, Chengalpet, and Kanchipuram.
Case Update: 11,502 new cases, -427 daily change, Last updated: 2020/6/15 12:00 PM CEST

Ireland | The Department of Foreign Affairs announced that certain Visa Application Centres would reopen for processing Long Stay “D visa” applications from June 22, 2020. Embassies of Ireland in China, Russia, and the UAE are the first to confirm the reopening of certain VAC offices.
Case Update: 45 new cases, 33 daily change, Last updated: 2020/6/15 12:00 PM CEST

Singapore | Beginning Friday, June 19, the majority of businesses can resume operations with the added safe distancing procedures in place.
Case Update: 407 new cases, 60 daily change, Last updated: 2020/6/15 12:00 PM CEST

Spain | Beginning Sunday, June 21, Spain will reopen its borders to the Schengen Zone, and also travelers from the UK.
Case Update: 396 new cases, -106 daily change, Last updated: 2020/6/15 12:00 PM CEST

Sudan | The government has extended the airport closures to June 28.
Case Update: 213 new cases, 85 daily change, Last updated: 2020/6/15 12:00 PM CEST

In the most recent Immigration Nerds podcast, Harvard Business School professor and author, William Kerr joins us to talk about his book, The Gift of Global Talent: How Migration Shapes Business, Economy & Society. Professor Kerr’s research focuses on entrepreneurial management, specifically on how companies and economies explore new opportunities to generate growth. This discussion explores the global race for talent and how countries and businesses compete for high-skilled migrants, and immigration’s role in catalyzing US innovation.

We will continue to send updates daily or as more COVID-19-related news is available. If you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or in past updates or want to hear more about a different topic, just reply to let us know. If you have specific questions, please contact your employer or EIG attorney.