Stay Informed with the Latest Updates on Global Immigration Policies and Trends
This week, the Global Immigration team at Smith Stone Walters would like to highlight the following recent updates from China, Malaysia, Singapore, Switzerland and the United States.
China: Further expansion of unilateral visa free entry policy
Effective 30 November 2024, nationals of Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Japan, Latvia, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Romania qualify for China’s unilateral visa-free entry programme.
Additionally, China has extended the period of stay under the programme from 15 days to 30 days, and will now include exchange visits as a valid purpose of stay. The updated policy will remain in effect until 31 December 2025.
Since December 2023, unilateral visa-free entry has also been granted to citizens of Australia, Brunei, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Korea; and Austria, Andorra, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland.
China: Trial document-free entry channels at Port of Shenzhen Bay and Gongbei
The Exit and Entry Administration of China has decided to upgrade part of the border inspection fast channels in Shenzhen Bay Port in Shenzhen and Gongbei Port in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, on a trial basis.
Specifically, individuals traveling frequently to and from Hong Kong and Macao for private purposes can use “document-free” channels.
Effective 20 November 2024, Chinese mainland residents aged 14 or older with valid Exit-Entry Permits for traveling to and from Hong Kong and Macao, and multiple valid stay, family reunion, business, talent or other type of endorsements for traveling to Hong Kong or Macao, and residents of Hong Kong and Macao (including non-Chinese citizens) with valid Mainland Travel Permits for Hong Kong and Macao Residents, can use the “document-free” channels at border inspection areas to enter and exit the Chinese mainland without presenting physical exit-entry documents, provided that they agree to allow the border inspection authorities in charge to collect their facial data, fingerprints and other necessary information for inspection.
Individuals choosing to pass through other inspection channels will still need to present their valid exit-entry documents for border inspection when entering or exiting the Chinese mainland. Chinese mainland residents holding exit-entry documents for public affairs will temporarily not be eligible to take the “document-free” channels and shall take other channels as usual.
It is important to note that residents of the Chinese mainland are still required to hold exit-entry documents for inspection purposes when entering Hong Kong and Macao, while residents of Hong Kong and Macao are required to go through procedures for stay, residence, transportation and other issues with their exit-entry documents after entering the Chinese mainland. It is therefore required that all individuals hold their valid exit-entry documents when traveling between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong and Macao, even if they use the “document-free” channels.
Malaysia: ESD opens expatriate projection applications for the year 2025
Effective 1 December 2024, companies that are registered on the Expatriate Services Division (ESD) online portal may apply for the Projection of Expatriates for Employment Pass (EP) and Professional Visit Pass (PVP) for the Year 2025.
The projection application is applicable for use in its respective year only. Any projection balance for the year 2024 needs to be utilised in the year 2024 itself and will not be carried forward to the year 2025.
- Users must update the latest e-SSM before proceeding to submit the projection request;
- Users must fill out all the information required, e.g. total number of local staff, foreign staff;
- Users must choose the correct Projection Year, i.e. 2025, and Position Group, e.g. Top Management, Middle Management, Technical Expert, or Entry Level;
- Projection requests have been simplified and will be instantly approved upon request.
So far, Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) has not announced dates for the submission of Foreign Knowledge Worker (FKW) Projection for Employment Pass (EP) for 2025.
Singapore: Updated criteria for Employment permits
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has released updated versions of its lists of educational institutions awarded 20 points and professional qualifications awarded 10 points under criterion C2 of the COMPASS points-based system. The new lists are applicable to new and renewal Employment Permit (EP) applications from 1 January 2025. The upcoming new qualifying salary requirements have also been clarified.
To qualify for EP applications, candidatesmust earn at least the EP qualifying salary, and pass the points-based Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS).COMPASS also applies to renewals for passes expiring since 1 September 2024.
- From 1 January 2025, the EP qualifying salary for new applications will be revised to at least SGD 5600 (up from SGD 5000), and at least SGD 6200 (up from SGD 5500) for the financial services sector. This revised EP qualifying salary will also apply to the renewal of EPs that are expiring from 1 January 2026.
- Criterion 2 of COMPASS awards points to candidates based on their qualifications, including up to 20 points for degree-equivalent qualifications from specified institutions, and 10 points for professional qualifications that are well-recognised by the industry and endorsed by a relevant sector agency.
- MOM has now published the updated 20-points institutions list and 10-points professional qualifications list, which will apply to new and renewal EP applications from 1 January 2025.
Other points may be awarded for nationality diversity (C3), support for local employment (C4), shortage occupations (C5) and contribution to strategic economic priorities (C6).
Candidates are exempted from COMPASS if they fulfil any of these conditions:
- Earning at least SGD 22,500 fixed monthly salary;
- Applying as an overseas intra-corporate transferee under the World Trade Organisation’s General Agreement on Trade in Services or an applicable Free Trade Agreement that Singapore is party to;
- Filling a role on a short-term basis (i.e., one month or less).
Switzerland: Federal Council lifts quotas for Croatian nationals in 2025
From 1 January 2025, Croatian nationals coming to work in Switzerland will benefit once again from full freedom of movement. At its meeting on 27 November 2024, the Federal Council adopted an amendment to the Ordinance on the Free Movement of Persons (FMPO) to this effect.
Full freedom of movement for Croatian nationals was introduced in 2022. As a result of the sharp increase in the number of Croatian workers that year, the Federal Council decided to unilaterally activate the safeguard clause provided for in the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons (AFMP) and to reintroduce quotas in 2023 and 2024. During these two years, the number of short-term permits (EU/EFTA L permits) was limited to 1,053 per year and the number of residence permits (EU/EFTA B permits) to 1,204 per year. The quotas for 2024 have already been used up.
As the safeguard clause may only be applied for a maximum of two consecutive years, Croatian nationals will once more have full access to the Swiss labour market from 1 January 2025.
If the number of Croatian workers in this country exceeds a certain threshold again in 2025, Switzerland may once more invoke the safeguard clause and limit the number of permits, but only for the year 2026. This is because Croatia is subject to a transitional period of ten years, until 31 December 2026, after which date Croatian nationals will definitively benefit from full free movement of persons, in the same way as nationals of the other EU member states.
Between 1 January 2017 – the date on which Croatia became a contracting party to the AFMP – and 31 December 2021, the Federal Council imposed restrictions on the number of Croatian workers permitted to come and work in Switzerland.
United States: Japan joins Global Entry
On 26 November 2024, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced that Japan is now an official Global Entry partner country, marking a significant step in strengthening travel and security cooperation between the two nations.
Global Entry partnership allows pre-vetted, low-risk Japanese citizens to expedite customs and immigration processing upon arrival to the United States. Japanese Global Entry applicants will undergo the same rigorous and recurring background checks as US applicants, including an in-person interview before initial enrolment, and require vetting by Japanese authorities. To maintain low-risk traveller status, Global Entry members must not violate any of the program’s terms and conditions, doing so will result in appropriate enforcement action and termination of the traveller’s membership privileges.
Global Entry is part of CBP’s Trusted Traveler Programs, with millions of travellers benefiting from its expedited entry services every year. The program also provides the benefit of access to TSA PreCheck® for eligible members, offering quicker security screening for domestic travellers at participating US airports.
Additional Global Entry partner countries include Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, Colombia, Croatia, the Dominican Republic, Germany, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, Panama, South Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.
Approved members have the option of using the Global Entry Mobile App to digitally confirm their eligibility and arrival to the US, further streamlining and expediting the entry process.
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