Global immigration news round-up

17.07.2024

This week, the Global Immigration team at Smith Stone Walters would like to highlight the following recent updates from Australia, Canada, China, Ireland and South Africa.

Australia: Large visa application fee increase for international students

As of 1 July 2024, the fee for international student visas has been significantly increased from AUD710 to AUD1600.

This includes the Student visa (subclass 500) and the Student Guardian visa (subclass 590).

Other visa application fees have increased less dramatically.

Also from 1 July 2024, the Fair Work High Income Threshold (FWHIT) has increased from AUD 167,500 to AUD 175,000. Applicants aged 45 years or older must meet this new higher threshold to be eligible for a Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494) or an Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) permanent visa (unless different exemptions apply.

Canada: Extension of permanent residence programme for out-of-status construction workers in Greater Toronto

The policy making available permanent residence for construction workers (and their family members) in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) who have fallen out of status has been extended until 31 December 2024 or until 1000 principal applicants (including their accompanying family members) have been granted permanent residence, whichever comes first.

All existing program criteria remain the same. More information about the policy is available here.

China: Mainland Travel Permits now available for foreign permanent residents of Hong Kong and Taiwan

The government has announced that, effective 10 July 2024, foreign permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macao are eligible to apply for Mainland Travel Permits.

First-time applicants must submit the application in person to China Travel Service (Holdings) Hong Kong Limited or China Travel Service (Macao) Ltd., two companies authorized by the Exit and Entry Administration of China to offer the relevant services.

If a travel permit has expired or been damaged or lost during its holder’s stay in the Chinese mainland, an application for replacement or reissuance can be submitted in person to the exit-entry administration of a public security organ at or above the municipal level (in a region with districts) in mainland China; alternatively, the holder can first apply for an exit permit, leave the Chinese mainland, and apply for the replacement or reissuance at China Travel Service (Holdings) Hong Kong Limited or China Travel Service (Macao) Ltd.

A holder of a Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents can enter and exit mainland China multiple times within the five-year validity period of the permit, with each stay period not exceeding 90 days.

According to the regulations, holders of Mainland Travel Permits for Hong Kong and Macao Residents, who have submitted their fingerprints at exit-entry ports and completed other necessary procedures, may use fast lanes to enter and exit mainland China.

Holders are prohibited from working, studying, or participating in activities like news interviews in mainland China. Individuals planning to engage in any of the aforementioned activities must apply for visas or stay/residence permits at the commissioner’s offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in Hong Kong and Macao SARs, or the exit-entry administrations of the public security organs in the Chinese mainland in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations.

Ireland: New visa requirement for nationals of Botswana and South Africa

Effective 10 July 2024, holders of South African and Botswanan passports, previously permitted to enter visa free, are now required to obtain an Irish visa before travelling to Ireland.

South African and Botswanan passport holders who have booked travel to Ireland before 10 July 2024 and will travel to Ireland before 10 August 2024 may travel to Ireland provided they are in possession of the following documentation:

A valid passport; and
Documentary proof from their carrier (not a Travel Agent) showing the date of purchase of their ticket(s), their name as the passenger, the flight number(s) and date of travel.

This documentation must be produced where requested to do so by a carrier or an Immigration Officer. Normal immigration rules that apply to non-nationals on seeking entry to Ireland will apply to any person availing of the transitional arrangements.

Any person who has booked travel to Ireland before 10 July 2024 and is travelling to Ireland after 9 August 2024 cannot avail of the limited transitional arrangements and will need to have obtained an Irish visa before travelling.
Any person who books travel to Ireland after 10 July cannot avail of the limited transitional arrangements and will need to have obtained an Irish visa in advance of travel, even if travelling to Ireland before 10 August 2024.
Persons who are in possession of a valid Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card do not separately need to have an Irish visa.

Note that Botswanan or South African nationals holding valid Irish Residence Permit (IRP) cards are not subject to the visa requirement.

South Africa: Further extension of status for pending long-term applications

The South African government has further extended temporary measures originally implemented in September 2022 to address delays in the processing of visa, waiver and appeals applications

Visa holders who have applied for a long-term visa or a visa waiver or who have appealed a negative decision on a long-term visa application, and the application is still pending as of 30 June 2024, are granted a further temporary extension until 31 December 2024 of their current visa status.

Applicants are not allowed to engage in any activity other than what their current immigration conditions provide for.

Those who wish to abandon their applications and depart from South Africa will be allowed to exit at a port of entry before or on 31 December 2024 without being declared undesirable.

Visa holders who need to travel, but are awaiting the outcome of a waiver application, will be allowed to exit and re-enter at a port of entry up to and including 31 December 2024, without being declared undesirable. However, non-visa exempt applicants who travel out of the country with a receipt for a waiver, long-term visa or appeals application are required to apply for a port of entry visa which would allow them re-entry into South Africa.

All appeal applicants are required to produce a copy of the rejection letter with a receipt for the appeal application on departure and re-entry into South Africa.

Holders of short-term visas issued in terms of section 11(1)(a) of the Immigration Act, 2002 for 90 days or less, who have applied for a renewal, but have not received their visa renewal outcome by 30 June 2024, must make the necessary arrangements to depart from South Africa within 90 calendar days from the date of expiry of the principal visa, to avoid being declared undesirable.

The temporary concession applies only to foreign nationals who have been legally admitted into South Africa and to applicants who have submitted their applications via VFS Global and who can produce a verifiable receipt for such application against the VFS Global tracking system.