HIGHLIGHTS

• Canada Announces Seven New Visa Application Centers to Open in China
• Turkey Publishes Changes to Residence Permit Laws
• Ireland Enforces the European Union (Posting of Workers) Regulations
• Considerable Visa Fee Increases in Saudi Arabia Forthcoming

Canada Announces Seven New Visa Application Centers to Open in China

After the Canadian Immigration Minister’s recent visit to China, the Chinese government declared that it will authorize Canada to open seven more visa application centers across China. The new centers are anticipated to open in 2017. The exact locations of the new centers have not been released, but the following cities are being vetted as likely locations: Chengdu, Nanjing, Jinan, Shenyang, and Wuhan. The centers will receive visa applications from Chinese nationals seeking to visit Canada for tourism purposes, to pursue a degree at a Canadian university, or to work for a Canadian employer.

Turkey Publishes Changes to Residence Permit Law

Turkey has recently published a law in the Official Gazette which will make significant changes to the country’s Residence Permit Law. These changes will primarily impact short-term residents and dependents.

The law has increased the validity time for short-term residence permits to two years, previously the permits were valid for only one year. In addition, the law increased the residence permit validity time for dependent residence permits to 3 years, previously the permits were valid for only two years. The law has also made significant changes to the rule regarding travel abroad while holding a valid residence permit. The new law states that remaining abroad for longer than 120 cumulative days within the year will no longer invalidate short-term residence permits and travel abroad for more than 180 cumulative days within the year will no longer invalidate a dependent residence permit.

Ireland Enforces the European Union (Posting of Workers) Regulations

The Irish government recently signed into law the European Union (Posting of Workers) regulations 2016 imposing new requirements to help strengthen the enforcement of employment rights for posted workers and ensure that non-Irish service providers respect labor standards in Ireland. Posted Workers are workers who are employed in one EU Member State but are transferred by their employer to work in another Member State on a temporary basis.

The regulations require EU-based service providers (non-Irish entities) to provide a declaration to the Workplace Relations Commission (“the WRC”) when transferring workers to Ireland. More specifically, some of the crucial measures include:

• Foreign service providers must designate a person to liaise with the WRC to send and receive documents and notices as necessary. Additionally, they must ensure certain information regarding each posted worker is made available to the WRC, including:
  • a copy of contract of employment;
  • payslips or equivalent documents;
  • time sheets or equivalent documents, indicating the beginning, end and duration of daily working time; and
  • proof of payment of wages.
• Foreign service providers must provide critical information to the WRC in advance of the worker commencing employment such as:
  • identity of the Foreign Service Provider;
  • anticipated number of identifiable posted workers;
  • anticipated duration and beginning and end dates of the posting of each worker;
  • workplace address for each posted worker;
  • nature of the services justifying the posting.
• The creation of a right for a posted worker to make a direct complaint to the Director General of the WRC naming both their employer and the contractor.

For more information regarding the regulations please visit the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation website.

Considerable Visa Fee Increases in Saudi Arabia Forthcoming

The Ministry of Labour in Saudi Arabia announced considerable visa application fee increases and new visa fees that will be implemented effective October 2, 2016.  As an update to our previous article, below please find a list of the newly released government fees:

• 6 Month Multiple Entry Visit Visa:  SR 3,000 (approximately USD 800)
• 1 Year Multiple Entry Visit Visa:  SR 5,000 (approximately USD 1330)
• 2 Year Multiple Entry Visit Visa:  SR 8,000 (approximately USD 2130)
• Since 2 Month Exit Re-Entry Visa:  SR 200 and SR 100 for each additional month (approximately USD 50)
• Multiple entry 3 Month exit Re-Entry Visa:  SR 500 and SR 200 for each additional month (approximately USD 133)
• Transit Via:  SR 300 (approximately USD 80)
• Departure Visa fee at Sea Ports:  SR 50 (approximately USD 13)