HIGHLIGHTS
- Israel Introduces New Spousal Employment Authorization Document (EAD)
- Ireland Launches New Employment Permit Online System
- European Union Regulation to Simplify Recognition of Public Documents Across the EU
Israel Introduces New Spousal Employment Authorization Document (EAD)
Earlier this month, the Israeli Government decided to implement a 1-year program to allow spouses of B-1 Foreign Expert Visa holders to pursue employment in Israel. Eligible spouses under this program are defined as legally married husbands and wives. The visa validity period will be issued for 1 year, renewable yearly up to 5 years and 3 months in total. Generally, the EAD visa validity will imitate the duration specified for the B-1 Foreign Expert.
The EAD is flexible and will give spouses the opportunity to seek employment opportunities. The EAD will not be tied to a specific Israeli employer and EAD holders will be allowed to accept any salary above the country’s minimum wage. The offered employment may be part-time, or full-time, with no restrictions on worksite or remote employment opportunities.
Please note that this regulation has not yet been published. EIG will continue to monitor developments and keep you informed.
Ireland Launches New Employment Permit Online System
Starting this September, Ireland’s Department for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (DJEI) will implement the Employment Permits Online System (EPOS), an online application submission service. Once the online portal is up and running, employment permit applications and required supporting documents can be submitted through the EPOS. Additionally, any applicable fees may also be paid through the same system by using its secure payment process. DJEI has requested applicants seeking to submit their new employment permit applications in August to wait until the new portal is up and running to ensure quick and efficient processing. In addition, processing delays for work permits should be expected for all cases currently pending with the DJEI.
The DJEI is confident that the new portal will provide applicants with a much faster and more efficient process. EIG will continue to monitor the progress of EPOS.
European Union Regulation to Simplify Recognition of Public Documents Across the EU
Effective August 15, 2016, the EU has implemented Regulation 2016-191, which will simplify the requirements for submitting certain public records issued in EU member countries.
EU nationals will no longer be required to get an apostille stamp when submitting public documents covered by the regulation which include birth certificates, death certificates, marriage, divorce, adoption, residence and nationality records. In addition, translations can no longer be required by EU countries where the document is in a language that is recognized as an official EU language. To further bridge the language gap, the regulation introduces multilingual standard forms which cover all official EU languages.
Although the regulation will be effective on August 15th, it will not be enforceable until two and a half years from that date.