Global immigration news
round-up

5 April 2022

This week, the SSW Global Immigration team would like to highlight the following updates from Canada, Israel and South Korea.

Canada: Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel

The government has launched The Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel (CUAET), which offers Ukrainians and their family members free, extended temporary status and allows them to work, study and stay in Canada until it is safe for them to return home.

Ukrainians and their family members coming to Canada from overseas:

  • can apply for a free visitor visa and may be allowed to stay in Canada for 3 years, as opposed to the standard 6-month authorised stay for regular visitors
  • have the option to apply, free of charge, for an open work permit with their visa application, enabling them to find work as quickly as possible
  • will have their electronic visa application processed within 14 days of receipt of a complete application, for standard, non-complex cases
  • are exempt from Canada’s COVID-19 vaccination entry requirements but must meet all other public health requirements for travel, such as quarantine and testing. With limited exceptions, all travellers to Canada, including anyone arriving under the CUAET, must also use ArriveCAN
  • are exempt from completing an immigration medical exam (IME) overseas, if applicable, but may be required to complete and pay for a medical diagnostic test within 90 days of arrival in Canada to screen for reportable communicable diseases (chest x-ray or suitable alternative and blood test)

Ukrainians and their family members who acquire or already have temporary status in Canada:

  • may apply to extend their temporary resident status for up to 3 years
  • can leave and return to Canada at any time while their visa is valid
  • may renew their work or study permit free of charge
  • may apply for a new work or study permit free of charge
  • are eligible to attend elementary and secondary school
  • may be required to complete and pay for an immigration medical exam (IME) if they haven’t completed one on initial entry to Canada

All Ukrainians and their family members:

  • will have most of their application and processing fees waived, including the visa application fee, biometric collection fee, work and study permit application fees, and visitor extension, and work and study permit renewal fees
  • will have all their IRCC applications prioritized for processing
  • may apply for permanent residence under a variety of different immigration programs and streams if they are eligible to do so
  • have access to IRCC’s dedicated service channel

All CUAET applicants remain subject to visa and travel requirements, background checks (including biometrics) and security screening.

Also, effective 30 March 2022, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is exempting certain Ukrainian nationals from providing biometrics at visa Application centres overseas. These include those aged 14-17, those aged over 60 and those with previous Canadian visas and no derogatory immigration history, who hold supporting documents.

Israel: Hi-Tech work visas

Hi-Tech visas for students and graduates

Under amendments to the Hi-Tech Work Visa Regulation, qualifying Israeli companies can now apply for a Hi-Tech work visa for current students in Israel, and those who have graduated in Israel, in designated hi-tech professions.

Hi-tech professions listed in the regulations include Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Computers, Software Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Optical / Electro-Optics Engineering, Communication Systems Engineering, Software Engineering, Data Science, Physics, Exact Sciences and Medicine.

Current students can be hired part-time, and the salary does not have to meet the prevailing wage for a foreign expert.

Graduates (within three years of graduating from an Israeli academic institute) must meet the minimum salary requirements (currently 5,500 NIS gross per month) during the first 6 months of employment, and 150% of the minimum salary after 6 months of employment. A quota of 500 graduates is established.

Hi-Tech visas for Ukrainian nationals

Israel has also launched a fast-track programme to allow Ukrainian nationals to obtain a quick entry permit and a 90-day work visa, as long as they have an employment permit with an Israeli hi-tech company.

Those eligible under the Law of Return will receive a 90-day work permit, with the possibility of extension, and their spouses will receive a work permit at a later stage.

Those not eligible under the Law of Return and their family members will receive a quick entry permit (within 4 days) and will be able to work immediately, in parallel with the continuation of the official Aliyah process in Israel.

South Korea: Re-entry exemption reinstated for long-term visa holders

Effective 1 April 2022, certain long-term visa holders will again be exempt from the requirement to obtain a re-entry permit before travelling outside South Korea.

The exemption was revoked by the Korean government in June 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the exemption, long-term visa holders who either hold residence cards or are waiting for residence cards to be issued and whose travel period outside South Korea does not exceed one year will no longer need to apply for a re-entry permit prior to international travel.

Long-term visa holders who have already obtained a re-entry permit for international travel on or after 1 April 2022 are still bound by the expiry date stated on the re-entry permit.

Expert advice on global immigration

If you need support with any aspect of worldwide immigration, Smith Stone Walters is here to help.

To speak to a member of our Global Immigration team, please contact us today.

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