Global immigration news
round-up
21 June 2022
This week, the SSW Global Immigration team would like to highlight the following updates from Iceland, Ireland, New Zealand, Portugal and Sweden.
Iceland: Residence permit cards
Effective 20 June 2022, the Directorate of Immigration will stop sending residence permit cards by mail. Holders must instead collect the cards at the Directorate of Immigration at Dalvegur 18 in Kópavogur or ask for cards to be sent to the offices of district commissioners outside the capital area. Notification will be sent via text message to the card holder when a card is ready.
The new procedure is due to the Data Protection Authority’s decision on the security of personal information when issuing and sending passports by ordinary mail. It is clear that the same considerations apply to the sending of residence permit cards and passports.
Ireland: Re-entry visa requirements suspended for under 16s
Effective 14 June 2022, re-entry visa requirements for children under 16 have been suspended until further notice. Children under 16 who wish to re-enter the State must be accompanied by a parent or guardian who has a legal permission to reside in the State. The adult accompanying the child must also provide appropriate documentation to prove they are the legal parent or guardian of the child in question.
Suitable documents to prove the relationship between the parent or guardian and the child are:
- A birth or adoption certificate, or guardianship papers showing your relationship with the child
- A marriage/divorce certificate if you are the child’s parent but have a different surname
- A death certificate in the case of a deceased parent
Current applications for re-entry visas for children under 16 will be returned to customers along with passports.
New Zealand: TB Low Incidence countries list updated
Effective 7 June 2022, 85 countries and territories are added to the INZ Tuberculosis (TB) Low Incidence countries list.
Visa applicants from the countries on this list will be able to check on the INZ webpage for countries with a low incidence of tuberculosis to see if they are still required to provide a chest x-ray with their applications, depending on their previous circumstances and duration of stay in New Zealand.
Dominica and Libya are removed from the list, as the latest data shows their TB incidence rates are now above the low incidence threshold.
Portugal: General immigration updates proposed
The Portuguese government has approved amendments to the legislation for the entry and stay of foreign nationals. Among the proposed changes are the following:
- Creation of a new jobseeker visa with an initial duration of 120 days (extendable for another 60 days).
- Creation of a digital nomad visa.
- Creation of a work visa for university graduates.
- Elimination of the quota system for residence visas for subordinate work.
- Simplification of visa issuance.
- Increase of validity for some documents.
- Facilitated visa issuance for citizens of member states of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPCP).
Sweden: Immigration fee increases
Government application fees have increased from SEK 2000 to SEK 2200 for initial and extension work permits and for residence permits for highly qualified persons to look for work or start a business.
The fee for an EU Blue Card, ICT permit or seasonal work permit remains SEK 2000.
Work permit application fees are listed here.
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.
Share story
