Peregrine News March 2016

8/18/2019 Peregrine News March 2016

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GLOBAL IMMIGRATION MADE SIMPLE

VAT registration number: 111 7916 32

Peregrine Immigration Management Ltd, Registered in England and Wales: 7569415

Immiguru

Last month we added seven new immigration processes to Immiguru, including two new countries –

Oman and Sri Lanka:

Oman – Employment Visa;

Oman – GCC Nationals;

Sri Lanka – Residence Visa (Employment); Philippines - 9(g) Pre-arranged Employment Visa for Work Permit Exempt Occupations;

Philippines - Special Non-Immigrant 47(a)(2) Visa for Work Permit Exempt Occupations;

Egypt - Temporary Work Authorisation (Under 30 Days);

Dominican Republic – Short Term Work Permit (Under 11 Months).

We also welcomed new partners in Oman, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Hong Kong, Brazil, Uruguay, China

and Colombia to our network.

Immiguru now contains over 1200 immigration processes to more than 95 destination countries,

which our 230+ partners help us to keep up-to-date to reflect changes to rules and procedures

around the world.

Immigo

In March we added a useful new way to filter reports by multiple consultants, as well as two new

notification trigger events – “Deposit Added” and “New Company Created”.

Please call or email us if you ever need any help with this or anything else in Immigo – we are always

pleased to hear from you.

More News and Events

We ran a very successful webinar on Tuesday 8 March on “Oil and Gas and Immigration in Africa”.

We also passed our annual ISO 27001 information security certification audit, underlining our

commitment to the security of our clients’ data and the reliability of our software and systems. Our

clients can rest assured that data is safe with Peregrine.

We are proud to have been shortlisted, in partnership with Luminary Global Immigration, in the

“Most Innovative Use of Technology in Global Mobility – Bespoke” category at the Forum for

Expatriate Management (FEM) Americas Expatriate Management and Mobility Awards (EMMAs).

Finally, a reminder that the Peregrine team will be out in force at the EuRA conference in Malta this

April, hosting EuRA’s first ever Immigration Symposium on Tuesday 19 April.

PEREGRINE NEWS

March 2016

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Table of Contents

SWITZERLAND –Q UOTAS FOR EU/EFTA L PERMITS EXHAUSTED FOR FIRST Q UARTER OF 2016 3

KENYA – NEW ONLINE IMMIGRATION APPLICATION SYSTEM LAUNCHED 3

COLOMBIA – GOVERNMENT EXTENDS VISA-FREE ENTRY TO SOME NATIONALS OF CAMBODIA AND MYANMAR;

AND CHANGES ENTRY PERMIT CATEGORY FOR SCHENGEN NATIONALS 4

CHINA – NEW ONLINE PRE-APPROVAL SYSTEM DELAYS WORK PERMIT PROCESSING IN BEIJING 4

INDIA – E-TOURIST VISA EXTENDED TO 37 MORE NATIONALITIES; AND PIO-OCI MERGER SCHEME DEADLINE

EXTENDED 5

INDIA – NEW MULTIPLE-ENTRY VISA FOR SOUTH ASIAN BUSINESS TRAVELLERS 6

CANADA – GOVERNMENT ALLOWS LENIENCY PERIOD FOR ELECTRONIC TRAVEL AUTHORISATION 6

UNITED KINGDOM –

NEW IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY FEES FOR 2016/2017 7 UNITED KINGDOM – POINTS BASED CALCULATOR TO BE DISCONTINUED 8

UNITED KINGDOM – CHANGES TO THE IMMIGRATION RULES FROM APRIL 2016 9

UNITED KINGDOM – GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO TIER 2 10

THAILAND – NEW MEASURES TO COUNTER VISA OVERSTAY 11

NIGERIA – IMMEDIATE NATIONWIDE LONG TERM WORK PERMIT VERIFICATION EXERCISE ANNOUNCED 11

PERU – EU SIGNS VISA WAIVER AGREEMENT 12

BRAZIL – NEW VISA APPLICATION WEBSITE LAUNCHED 13

SOUTH KOREA – TUBERCULOSIS TEST REQUIRED FOR CERTAIN LONG-TERM VISA APPLICANTS 13

GREECE – CHANGES TO TRANSLATION SERVICES AT THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS 14

GHANA – VISA ON ARRIVAL PLANNED FOR NATIONALS OF AFRICAN UNION STATES 14

MORE FROM PEREGRINE 15


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SWITZERLAND –Quotas for

EU/EFTA L Permits

Exhausted for First Quarterof 2016

The quota for L permits for the first quarter of

2016, for short-term assignees from European

Union (EU) / European Free Trade Agreement

(EFTA) countries, has been filled.

Who is Affected?

New, incoming EU/EFTA nationals who areassigned to Switzerland but remain on foreign

employment contracts will not be issued L

permits until 1 April 2016.

Who is Not Affected?

The quota for B permits, and permits not

subject to quotas, such as the 120 day permit

and the 4 month short term permit) are not

affected. Quotas for non-EU/EFTA nationals

are also not affected.

Background

The Swiss government decided to keep the

reduced amount of permit quota for the year

2016 (see our alert of 11 November 2015).

The quotas are allocated to the cantons on a

quarterly basis.

Action Items

Allow for possible delays with

sending EU/EFTA nationals to

Switzerland. Contact your supplier

for any new EU/EFTA national

assignments to Switzerland, as

pending applications will be

treated differently depending on

the canton.

KENYA – New Online

Immigration Application

System Launched

Effective 2 March 2016, foreign nationals

applying for immigration documents must use

the new electronic Foreign Nationals Services

(eFNS) portal.

However, the online portal is not yet fully

operational, and manual applications may still

be necessary in some cases.

Which applications can be made

through eFNS?

The eFNS has been established by the

Department of Immigration Services to

manage the following applications:

Foreign Nationals Certificate

(Alien Card), Re-Entry Pass and

Extension of Visitor’s Pass;

Work/Residence Permits (all

classes, depending on activity);

Dependent Pass, Student Pass and

Special Pass (for short-term work

and business activities up to six

months);

Permanent Residence;

Citizenship.

How does eFNS work?An applicant must obtain an eCitizen single

sign-on account. They can then log in and

apply for any of the Foreign National Services

here, and must pay for the services online.

Action Items

Expect some delays and

uncertainty as the new system is

implemented.

https://peregrineimmigration.co.uk/newsletter/RBr0V3f2144https://fns.immigration.go.ke/https://fns.immigration.go.ke/https://account.ecitizen.go.ke/register-step-1?t=alienhttps://fns.immigration.go.ke/account/https://fns.immigration.go.ke/account/https://account.ecitizen.go.ke/register-step-1?t=alienhttps://fns.immigration.go.ke/https://fns.immigration.go.ke/https://peregrineimmigration.co.uk/newsletter/RBr0V3f2144


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manual application must still be made at the

Labour Bureau.

How Does It Work?

For all Employment Licence and Work Permit

applications in Beijing, an online application

form must now be completed and certain

supporting documents scanned and uploaded.

The status of the application can be checked

online and, when it has been approved, an

application report has to be printed and

submitted manually to the Labour Bureau,

along with all the original supporting

documents.

Action Items

Allow an extra week for Employment

Licence and Work Permit application

processing in Beijing.

INDIA – e-Tourist Visa

extended to 37 More

Nationalities; and PIO-OCI

Merger Scheme Deadline

Extended

The Indian government has extended its e-

Tourist Visa (eTV) scheme to include

applicants from a further 37 countries

effective 26 February, thus bringing the

number of eligible nationalities for the eTV

scheme to 150.

In addition, the Indian government has

extended the deadline for Overseas Citizens

of India (OCI) registrations for all Person of

Indian Origin (PIO) card holders from 31

March 2016 to 30 June 2016.

e-Tourist Visa

Who is Eligible?

The eTV is now available to a total of 150

nationalities, including nationals of thefollowing additional countries (unless they are

of Pakistani origin or holders of Diplomatic or

Official passports):

Albania, Austria, Bosnia & Herzegovina,

Botswana, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cape Verde,

Comoros, Cote d’Ivoire, Croatia, Czech

Republic, Denmark, Eritrea, Gabon, Gambia,

Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Iceland, Lesotho,

Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Moldova,Namibia, Romania, San Marino, Senegal,

Serbia, Slovakia, South Africa, Swaziland,

Switzerland, Tajikistan, Trinidad & Tobago,

Zambia, Zimbabwe.

A full list of eligible nationalities can be found

here.

Permissible Activities and Duration of Stay

The visa is available to those traveling on

leisure, for short duration medical treatment,

for a "casual business visit" or to meet friends

and relatives. Travellers must show proof of

onward travel and sufficient funds.

The definition of "casual business visit" is not

clear and if there is any uncertainty over

whether the activities to be carried out qualify

as a business visit, this should be checked with

an immigration adviser.

The eTV is valid for 30 days from the date of

arrival in India, is non-extendable, non-

convertible and allows a maximum of two

visits in a calendar year.

How Does it Work?

This visa applicant must apply online, at least

four days before the intended date of arrival

to India, for an e-TV. The visa fee (about

US$60) should be paid at this time. A digital

photograph and copy of the passport

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information page must be uploaded as part of

the application.

The successful applicant should receive their

eTV within 72 hours, which they must carry at

the time of travel. On arrival in India at one of

16 designated airports, the traveller will go

through biometric registration.

OCI Card Registration

the Indian government has extended the

deadline for Overseas Citizens of India (OCI)

registrations for all Person of Indian Origin

(PIO) card holders from 31 March 2016 to 30

June 2016.

The Person of Indian Origin (PIO) scheme was

merged with the Overseas Citizens of India

(OCI) scheme in January 2015. All existing PIO

card holders are to be granted OCI status,

with lifelong multiple-entry visas and

exemption from police registration

procedures, on registration for the OCI

scheme.

Action Items

Review upcoming trips by qualifying

nationals and bear in mind that the e-

Tourist Visa may be a suitable route in

some business travel cases.

PIO card holders should register for

the OCI scheme by 30 June 2016.

INDIA – New Multiple-Entry

Visa for South Asian

Business Travellers

From 1 April 2016, India will offer multi-city,

multiple-entry business visas to nationals of

South Asian Association for Regional

Cooperation (SAARC) countries coming to

India on business.

India Business Card

The new business visa, to be called the "India

Business Card", will be granted for five years

or less, to businessmen of any member stateof the SAARC, including Pakistan, Afghanistan,

Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives. Nationals

of Bhutan and Nepal, also SAARC member

states, do not require a visa for India.

Pakistani Nationals

Currently, Pakistani nationals are eligible for a

multiple-entry business visa for a maximum

period of one year, and can travel to ten

cities. The new scheme allows travel to 15cities for three years.

For Pakistani nationals to qualify for a three-

year multiple-entry card, they should run an

enterprise worth INR ten million (Indian

rupees) and should have an annual income of

at least PKR one million (Pakistani rupees).

The Pakistani enterprise should also be a

member of any Chamber of Commerce in

Pakistan that India recognises.

An added advantage is that under the new

scheme, Pakistani entrepreneurs will be

exempted from reporting at the local police

station, which is generally mandatory for

Pakistani nationals coming to India on any

other visa now.

Action Items

Business travellers from SAARC

member states should consider

applying for an Indian Business Card

for greater freedom of travel to India.

CANADA – Government

Allows Leniency Period for

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Electronic Travel

Authorisation

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has

announced that, from 15 March 2016 to

Autumn 2016, visa exempt foreign national

travellers who do not yet have an Electronic

Travel Authorisation (eTA) can board their

flight, as long as they have an appropriate

travel document, such as a valid passport, and

meet the other requirements to enter

Canada.

What is the eTA?

From 15 March 2016, visa exempt foreign

nationals are expected to have an Electronic

Travel Authorisation (eTA) to fly to or transit

through Canada. The eTA is an online

registration system that travellers access

online. eTAs are valid for five years, or until

the expiration date of a passport, whichever

comes first.

Who Needs an eTA?

The eTA requirement applies to travelers who

do not need a visa to enter Canada and who

are planning to arrive by air. Visa exempt

countries include the UK, Japan, Australia,

Korea, countries in the European Union and

more.

The eTA requirement does not apply to

citizens of the US and it is not required if aperson is entering at a land or sea port of

entry.

A list of nationalities requiring an eTA is

available here.

From sometime after March 2016, nationals

of Brazil, Bulgaria, Mexico or Romania who

hold a current US non-immigrant visa, or who

have held a Canadian visa in the past ten

years, will be allowed to enter Canada with an

eTA instead of a visa.

What is the eTA Application

Process?

The eTA process involves entering a traveler’s

personal details and passport information into

an online portal and paying a fee of $7CAD.

Every traveler must obtain an eTA – including

children.

In most cases, CIC will approve the eTA within

minutes of applying. In situations where an

immediate decision is not given, CIC willfollow up with applicants with requests to

obtain more information.

Action Items

Visa-waiver nationals (other than US

nationals) travelling to Canada should

register for an eTA before travelling,

as the leniency period is temporary.

UNITED KINGDOM – New

Immigration and

Nationality Fees for

2016/2017

On 26 February 2016, UK Visas & Immigration

(UKVI) announced that new fees for

2016/2017 will come into effect on 18 March

2016.

What are the Main Changes?

There is a small increase of 2% for

work, study and visit visas;

Applications made outside the UK

under Tier 2 of the Points Based

System have increased from £564 to

£575 for a three year visa, and from

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£1128 to £1151 for a visa issued for

up to five years;

Applications made in-country have

increased from £651 to £664 for a

three year visa, and from £1,302 to

£1,328 for a visa issued for a period of

five years;

The same fees will apply for each

dependent. The cost for assigning a

Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to an

individual has remained the same at

£199;

Applications submitted via the Priority

Postal Service for in-countryapplications have increased by 25%

from £300 to £375;

Settlement applications have

increased by 25% from £1,500 to

£1,875. The same fees will apply for

each dependent;

In-country applications made in-

person via the same-say service at a

Premium Service Centre have

increased by 25% from £400 to £500;

The fees for Nationality applications

have increased by 25%. Each

individual applying will now be

required to pay £1156 in place of the

previous fee of £1005;

Sponsor Licence applications will

remain the same as the previous year.

For the full list of fee changes for 2016/2017

see here.

Background

The Government recently confirmed a

maximum amount UKVI can charge over the

next four-year period for immigration and

nationality applications. This has been done

by establishing ‘maximum levels’ for fees that

are vastly above the fees currently in

operation. This could lead to significant futurecost increases for business and migrants.

Action Items

Ensure global mobility planning takes

into account the new visa andimmigration fees.

UNITED KINGDOM – Points

Based Calculator to be

Discontinued

From 6 April 2016 the Points Based Calculator

will no longer be an eligible source to support

immigration applications and will be removed

from service entirely on 10 April 2016.

What is the Points Based

Calculator?

Currently, the calculator is used to assist

applicants for UK visas using the Points Based

System to determine whether they may be

eligible to work or study in the UK.

The Points Based System includes Tier 1, 2, 4

and 5 applications, as well as applications for

indefinite leave to remain and naturalisation

as a British Citizen.

The calculator also helps to assess whether an

overseas academic qualification meets the

academic or English language requirements

for these visa categories.

What has Changed?

Due to various changes in the immigration

rules and application procedures in recent

years, the Points Based Calculator has become

significantly harder to maintain and is no

longer considered a cost-effective tool for the

Home Office. As such, it will shortly be

discontinued altogether.

Applicants needing to demonstrate that theiroverseas qualifications meet the English

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language requirements on or after 6 April

2016 will need to obtain a new official

statement from UK NARIC (National

Recognition Information Centre).

UK NARIC is an agency which specialises in

providing advice on international vocational,

academic and professional qualifications.

Any costs for an English language statement

are not part of the government visa fee and

will need to be paid directly to UK NARIC for

the qualification equivalency services.

Action Items

On or after 6 April 2016, applicants for

visas via the UK Points Based System

needing to determine whether an

overseas academic qualification

meets the English language

requirements must obtain a new

official statement from UK NARIC.

UNITED KINGDOM –

Changes to the Immigration

Rules from April 2016

On 11 March 2016 the UK Home Office issued

a Statement of Changes to the Immigration

Rules, which are due to take effect from 6

April 2016.

However, these rule changes do not include

any reforms resulting from the Migration

Advisory Committee (MAC)’s recent reviews

of Tier 1 (Entrepreneur), Tier 1 (Graduate

Entrepreneur) or Tier 2 visas. The

Government has not yet published its

response to those reports.

What are the Major Changes?

Below are the major changes announced in

the Statement of Changes:

The maintenance requirements for

students applying for leave to remain

as a student union sabbatical officer,

a dentist on a foundation programme

or a postgraduate doctor have been

reduced;

Tier 4 (General) students at

independent schools can now extend

their stay from within the UK;

Overseas domestic workers will now

be allowed to take alternative

employment as a domestic worker

during their 6 month period of

admission; The period of leave granted to an

overseas domestic worker, who is the

victim of slavery or human trafficking,

has been increased from 6 months to

2 years;

The maintenance requirements for

Tier 5 (Temporary Workers) are

amended to clarify that if a sponsor

certifies maintenance, then that

sponsor is confirming the applicant

will not claim public funds during their

stay;

The threshold at which cumulative

debts to the NHS constitute a general

ground of refusal is lowered from

£1000 to £500

Applications can now be refused if a

litigation debt is owed to the Home

Office; The “points based calculator” will no

longer exist after 5th April 2016,

replaced by UK NARIC Visas And

Nationality See our previous alert;

Masters degrees and PhDs taught in

English may be used to satisfy the

English language requirement for

Representatives of Overseas

Businesses;

With regard to applications madeunder the Family and Private Life

http://ecctis.co.uk/naric/https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/507235/54729_HC_877_Web_Accessible.pdfhttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/507235/54729_HC_877_Web_Accessible.pdfhttps://peregrineimmigration.co.uk/newsletter/RBr1R3f2144https://peregrineimmigration.co.uk/newsletter/RBr1R3f2144https://peregrineimmigration.co.uk/newsletter/RBr1R3f2144https://peregrineimmigration.co.uk/newsletter/RBr1R3f2144https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/507235/54729_HC_877_Web_Accessible.pdfhttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/507235/54729_HC_877_Web_Accessible.pdfhttp://ecctis.co.uk/naric/


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provision, the UK immigration

authorities will have a power to

refuse an application on grounds of

suitability if false representations

have been submitted, or there has

been a failure to disclose materials

facts, in a previous immigration

application

Action Items

Note the above changes.

UNITED KINGDOM –

Government Announces

Changes to Tier 2

On 23 March 2016 the government

announced changes to the Tier 2 work

authorisation category in response to two

reviews undertaken last year by the Migration

Advisory Committee (MAC).

The main changes will come into effect in two

stages (autumn 2016 and April 2017).

What are the Main Changes?

Below are the major changes to Tier 2:

Tier 2 General

Tier 2 (General) salary thresholds for

experienced workers will be increased

to £25,000 in autumn 2016, and

£30,000 in April 2017. Some health

and education professionals will be

exempt from the higher threshold

until July 2019. The minimum

threshold for new entrants will

remain at £20,800;

Nurses will remain on the Shortage

Occupation List, but sponsors willneed to carry out a Resident Labour

Market Test (RLMT) before recruiting

a non-EEA nurse;

Overseas graduates will be given extra

weight in the Tier 2 General monthly

allocation panel reviews

Graduates will be able to switch roles

within a company once they have

secured a permanent job.

Tier 2 Intra-company Transfer

All intra-company transferees will be

required to qualify under a single visa

category with a minimum salarythreshold of £41,500, from April 2017;

An exception to the above applies to

the Graduate Trainee category, where

the salary threshold will be reduced

from £24,800 to £23,000. The number

of trainees that an employer may

bring to the UK will increase from five

to twenty;

There will be a transitional period

until April 2017 to allow thoseaffected to plan for the changes;

In autumn 2016, the Skills Transfer

category will be closed to new

applicants;

Also in autumn 2016, the minimum

salary threshold for the Tier 2 ICT

Short Term category will be increased

to £30,000. From April 2017, the Tier

2 ICT Short Term category will be

closed to new applications;

From April 2017, the minimum salary

threshold for intra-company

transferees working in the UK for

between five and nine years will be

lowered from £155,300 to £120,000.

The requirement for applicants to

have one year’s experience where

they are being paid over £73,900 will

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Other Changes

An Immigration Skills Charge will be

levied on Tier 2 employers at a rate of

£1000 per Certificate of Sponsorship

per year from April 2017. Smaller

businesses and charities will be

charged a lower amount of £364.

There will be an exemption for PhD

occupations, Tier 2 (Intra-Company

Transfer) Graduate Trainees and Tier

4 students switching to Tier 2;

No Change

There will be no change to the work

rights of dependents of Tier 2

migrants;

Tier 4 students switching to a Tier 2

visa will not be subject to a limit on

numbers and their sponsor will not

have to carry out a RLMT.

Action Items

Employers should prepare for the

forthcoming changes to Tier 2 starting

in autumn 2016.

THAILAND – New Measures

to Counter Visa Overstay

Effective 20 March 2016, new stricter

regulations introduced by the Interior

Ministry will punish visa holders more harshly

than previously for overstaying their visa.

New Penalties

A foreign national who has already overstayed

their visa but surrenders to the authorities at

an immigration checkpoint and leaves the

country before 20 March 2016 will be fined

500 baht per day of overstay, up to a

maximum of 20,000 baht.

A foreign national who has overstayed their

visa but does not leave the country before 20

March 2016 will be liable for the same fine

but also banned from entering Thailand as

detailed below:

Those who overstay more than 90

days will be banned from re-entering

the country for one year;

Those who overstay more than one

year but less than three years will be

banned form re-entering Thailand for

three years;

Those who overstay more than three

years but less than five years will be

banned from re-entering Thailand for

five years;

Those who overstay more than five

years will be banned form re-entering

Thailand for ten years.

There are even harsher re-entry bans for

foreign nationals who overstay their visas and

do not surrender but are caught by the

authorities.

Action Items

Visa holders in Thailand must be sure

to leave Thailand before the last

permitted date of their visa, to avoidthese new penalties.

NIGERIA – Immediate

Nationwide Long Term

Work Permit Verification

Exercise Announced

On 14 March 2016 the Nigeria Immigration

Service (”NIS”) issued a public notice to the


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effect that a nationwide verification exercise

will be conducted immediately, from 14

March 2016 till 31 March 2016, for Combined

Expatriate Resident Permit and Aliens Card

(“CERPAC”) holders in Nigeria.

Who is Affected?

This verification exercise affects employers of

CERPAC holders.

What Do Employers Need to Know?

Representatives of companies employing

foreign nationals should take the following

documents to their local NIS CERPACProduction Centre:

Foreign nationals’ CERPACs;

Foreign nationals’ passports;

A copy of a valid Expatriate quota;

A copy of the company’s monthly

returns for February 2016.

Foreign national employees are not required

to appear in person.

Action Items

Employers of CERPAC holders should

promptly make arrangements to

verify the CERPACs of their

employees.

PERU –

EU Signs VisaWaiver Agreement

On 14 March 2016, the European Union (EU)

signed a short-stay visa-waiver agreement

with Peru on behalf of its Schengen Area

Member States, allowing Peruvians to enter

any Schengen Area country visa-free.

The agreement will apply on a provisional

basis from 15 March 2016, until it is approved

by the European Parliament.

However, the Peruvian authorities need to

demonstrate that they issue only biometric

passports by 31 July 2016, otherwise the

agreement will be cancelled.

What is the Visa Waiver

Agreement?

The new visa regime allows nationals of EU

Schengen Area countries to stay in Peru, and

Peruvian nationals to stay in EU Schengen

Area countries, for up to 90 days in a 180-day

period.

Visa-free travel applies to all categories ofpersons and for any kind of purposes of travel

(for instance tourism, cultural visits, scientific

activities, family visits, business etc.), except

to persons travelling for the purpose of

carrying out a paid activity.

What is the Schengen Area?

The Schengen Area consists of 22 EU Member

States and four non-EU Member States:

Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway andSwitzerland.

The non-EU Schengen countries are expected

to sign separate equivalent visa waiver

agreements in each case. Bulgaria, Croatia,

Cyprus and Romania are not yet part of the

Schengen Area, but nonetheless have a visa

policy that is based on the Schengen area.

The visa waiver agreements do not apply tothe United Kingdom and Ireland which have

opted out of the Schengen area.

Action Items

Note that nationals of Peru can travel

to the EU countries in the Schengen

Area for tourism or business for up to

90 days in any 180-day period without

a visa.


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BRAZIL – New Visa

Application Website

Launched

On 29 February 2016, the Brazilian Foreign

Ministry (MRE) launched a new website for

completing the visa application form for any

category of Brazilian visa.

Compared to the previous system, the new

visa application form website has more steps

and additional questions and requires certain

documents to be uploaded.

How Does It Work?

The visa application form must be completed

online here and supporting documents, digital

photograph and signature uploaded as

required for the specific visa type.

Note that opening the above-linked new visa

application form website may trigger an

"untrusted connection" message. This isbecause the security certificate that was

issued for the site is not yet recognized by

some browsers. This issue should eventually

resolve itself.

A delivery receipt for the application form

must be printed and submitted (with the

applicant’s photograph attached) along with

the required supporting documents, at the

visa application appointment at thecorresponding Brazilian Consulate.

Action Items

Ensure that all Brazilian visa

application forms are completed using

the new visa application form

website, and that all required

supporting documents are uploaded

correctly, to avoid visa processing

delays.

SOUTH KOREA –

Tuberculosis Test Required

for Certain Long-Term Visa

Applicants

Effective 2 March 2016, certain applicants for

long-term consular visas or post-arrival

change of status or visa extension, who are

nationals of eighteen “high TB-burdencountries”, must submit a "Certificate of

Health", including a tuberculosis test result.

Who is Affected?

The new requirement affects nationals of the

eighteen “high TB-burden countries” who are

applying for either

a long-term visa (more than 90 days)

at a South Korean diplomatic missionwhile resident in any of the same

countries, or

a change of status or extension of stay

post arrival in South Korea.

The countries affected are: Nepal, East Timor,

Russia, Malaysia, Mongol, Myanmar,

Bangladesh, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan,

India, Indonesia, China, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan,

Thailand, Pakistan, Philippines.

Exemptions

Diplomats, foreign government officials,

international agreement status holders and

children aged 5 years and under are exempt

from providing this tuberculosis test result.

Consular Applications

For long-term visa applications at a South

Korean diplomatic mission, nationals of “high

https://formulario-mre.serpro.gov.br/sci/pages/web/pacomPasesWebInicial.jsfhttps://formulario-mre.serpro.gov.br/sci/pages/web/pacomPasesWebInicial.jsf


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TB-burden countries”, resident in any of those

countries, must submit a certificate of health

including a TB test result, valid for one year,

issued by a hospital designated by the

relevant Korean diplomatic mission.

The test must include the results of at least

one of the following TB tests: chest X-ray,

sputum test, tuberculin skin test, blood test or

equivalent.

Long-term visas for South Korea include the E-

7 for local hire, the D-7 for intra-company

transfer, the D-8 for inter-company transfer,

the D-9 (Treaty Trader) visa for service

contracts and the F-3 visa for dependent

family members of work visa holders.

Post Arrival Applications

For change of status or extension of stay

applications post arrival in South Korea,

nationals of “high TB-burden countries” must

submit a certificate of confirmation issued by

a Korean public health centre.

Action Items

Ensure that nationals of the listed

countries obtain a tuberculosis test

certificate, if required, for consular

long-term visa applications and post-

arrival extension of stay or change of

status applications.

GREECE – Changes to

Translation Services at the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The Translation Service of the Ministry of

Foreign Affairs has stopped offering

translation services into and out of Finnish,

Swedish, Slovenian, Chinese and Japanese.

What Does This Mean in Practice?

If translation from or into one of the

above languages is required, it willnow be necessary to use an

accredited translator officially

recommended by the relevant

consulate;

Translations via independent

translators are more expensive than

via the Translation Service of the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs;

Receipt of translation costs is always

requested as proof that the

translation has been completed by an

accredited translator.

Action Items

For translations from and into Finnish,

Swedish, Slovenian, Chinese and

Japanese, ensure that documents are

translated by an accredited translator.

Bear in mind that the timing and the

cost of translations from and into

these five languages may differ from

the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Translation Service.

GHANA – Visa on Arrival

Planned for Nationals of

African Union States

On 25 February 2016, the Government of

Ghana announced that it intends to allow

citizens of African Union member states to

enter the country without a prior visa, and

obtain a visa on arrival for up to thirty days,

beginning in July 2016.


15/15



What does this mean?

Once the new African Union visa on arrival

program is implemented, a national of any

African Union member state can visit Ghanafrom their country of origin or residence

without a visa.

This will remove the need for consular visa

processing. However, on arrival at the port of

entry, an entry permit allowing a stay of up to

thirty days will be issued at the discretion of

the Immigration Officer on duty.

BackgroundThe African Union (AU), founded in 2001,

consists of 54 countries in Africa. The only

African state that is not a member is Morocco.

Presently, only nationals of the fifteen

countries of the Economic Community of

West African States (ECOWAS) are visa

exempt for travel to Ghana.

Action Points

Once this visa on arrival is

implemented, African Union member

state nationals should benefit from

easier travel to Ghana for business

and tourism.

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DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this immigration newsletter has been

abridged from laws, court decisions, and administrative rulings and should not be

construed or relied upon as legal advice. If you have specific questions regarding the

applicability of this information, please contact Peregrine © 2015 Peregrine

Immigration Management Ltd.
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Peregrine News March 2016