Global immigration news from around the world

09.04.2025

This week, the Global Immigration team at Smith Stone Walters would like to highlight the following recent updates from Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Italy and Luxembourg.

Croatia: Major changes to immigration rules

On 15 March 2025, significant and wide-ranging amendments to the Law on Foreigners took effect.

The key changes are as follows.

EU Blue Card

The EU Blue Card is now valid for 48 months, up from 24 months previously. If the employment contract is shorter, the card will be issued for the contract duration plus three months, but never exceeding 48 months. The Blue Card cannot be issued for longer than the validity the holder’s passport.
Moreover, EU Blue Card applicants who are employed as directors or specialists in information and communication technologies are now entitled to demonstrate higher professional skills through professional experience, in addition to higher education qualifications.

Temporary residence for returning Croatians

Temporary residence can now be granted to third-country nationals who are Croatian emigrants, their family members, descendants, or family members of descendants.
Applicants under this category do not need to provide proof of financial support or health insurance when applying for temporary residence.
Those granted temporary residence for diaspora return have the right to employment, self-employment, participation in educational programs and vocational training without needing a work permit or work registration.

Employer Guarantee Requirement for Work Permits

Employers must pay a sum equal to one average monthly gross salary, based on the latest official statistical data, into the state budget if the worker fails to start working as specified in the contract or if the contract is terminated within three months, unless due to the worker’s misconduct.
To secure the payment, employers must issue a bond to the Ministry of the Interior for the equivalent amount, within five days of receiving the necessary confirmation.
The paid amount will be used for the repatriation of third-country nationals who are unlawfully residing in Croatia.
Employers or third-country nationals must notify the police within five working days if an employment contract ends or if the conditions for the residence and work permit no longer apply.

Enhanced Conditions for Work Permits Based on Croatian Employment Service Opinion

Additional conditions have been imposed on work permits based on the opinion of the Croatian Employment Service. These conditions include:

Employers must ensure that employment contracts for foreign workers meet specific criteria.
The employer’s business activities over the last six months must align with the regulations.
Employers must demonstrate a sufficient number of employees who are citizens of Croatia, or citizens of an EEA member state or the Swiss Confederation.

Ensuring Foreign Workers Are Qualified for Shortage Occupations

Employers must prove that foreign workers have the necessary qualifications for shortage occupations, ensuring they are well-suited for their roles in the Croatian labour market.

Foreign workers can change occupations within the same employer if the new job is in a shortage occupation, and the contract lasts until the permit expires.
Employers must submit a request to change the occupation within three days of signing the new employment contract, along with required documentation.
The Croatian Employment Service will issue an opinion within five days to confirm the worker meets the qualifications for the new occupation.
Workers can begin the new job once the positive opinion is received, and their work permit remains valid until it expires.
If the opinion is negative, the worker must continue in the original occupation.

Limitation on Work Permit Requests

Employers can submit a maximum of 50 applications if they employ up to 50 Croatian/EEA/Swiss workers, or up to 250 applications if they employ between 51-250 such workers.
Exceeding the allowed number of applications will result in the Croatian Employment Service not issuing a positive opinion, which is necessary for permit approval.

Easier Job and Employer Transitions for Foreign Workers

Foreign workers can change their employer or job role before one year of work or within their work permit validity by submitting an application.
If submitted within the allowed unemployment period, the worker can stay in Croatia until a decision is made on the application.
Foreign workers can change roles within the same employer if the new job is listed in the relevant decision, without needing to apply for a new work permit.
After one year with the same employer, foreign workers can switch employers for the same role with the employer submitting the request.
Foreign workers with full-time employment can take on additional work with another employer under specific conditions, including labour market testing and approval from the Croatian Employment Service.

Extended Employer Accommodation Requirements

Employers must provide appropriate accommodation for third-country nationals applying for residence and work permits based on labour market opinions from the Croatian Employment Service (HZZ).
The accommodation must meet living standards for the entire stay. Employers must notify authorities about any accommodation changes within 8 days.
Rent must be reasonable compared to the worker’s income and the accommodation’s quality. Rent cannot be automatically deducted from the worker’s salary. Employers must provide a rental agreement outlining clear conditions.
The accommodation must meet health and safety regulations in Croatia.
Interior Minister, with consent from relevant ministers, will set technical requirements for appropriate accommodation, rental payments, and documentation needed to prove compliance.

Stricter Penalties for Violating Foreigners Act Provisions

The Croatian government has also introduced new misdemeanours and tighter penalties in relation to the updated provisions of the Foreigners Act.

Denmark: New supplier for residence cards, visa stickers and laissez-passer

From 1 April 2025, the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) and the Immigration Service will use a new supplier of residence cards and visa stickers and for the distribution of laissez-passer. The residence cards, visa stickers and laissez-passer that have been issued before 1 April 2025 will continue to be valid during the period of time that is stated on the documents.

The Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI), the Immigration Service and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have entered into an agreement with exceet Card Group who will take over as the new supplier of residence cards, visa stickers and the distribution of laissez-passer. The new residence cards have an updated design with improved safety features while the sizes of the cards remain the same.

Residence cards, visa stickers or a laissez-passers that have been issued before 1 April 2025 will continue to be valid until expiry, or until the required conditions are no longer met. Card holders must continue to carry their residence card with them at all times during their stay in Denmark, as proof of their right to residence.

The transition from the old supplier to the new supplier will not affect the processing time of any cases, nor the production time of the documents.

Finland: New minimum income for extended permit for employed persons

The minimum income limit for a residence permit for an employed person increased to EUR 1600 per month on 1 January 2025.

Now, the Finnish Immigration Service has announced that, starting in April 2025, the minimum income limit of EUR 1600 will also apply to applications for an extended permit on the basis of employment. The limit refers to the person’s gross salary, which means their salary before the deduction of taxes and other statutory contributions.

Currently, the minimum income limit for an extended permit for an employed person, i.e., the minimum income requirement, is EUR 1430 per month. From April 2025, the salary must be at least EUR 1600 per month. If the salary is less than EUR 1600 per month, an applicant cannot receive an extended permit for an employed person.

For those who have submitted an application for an extended permit for an employed person before 1 April 2025 but whose application is still pending after 1 April 2025, and who do not meet the new minimum income limit, their employer may supplement the terms of employment in the application and increase their salary to at least EUR 1600 per month.

To receive an extended permit for an employed person, applicants must have a job in Finland and have sufficient income for as long as their residence permit is valid in Finland:

Their employer may pay part of your salary as a fringe benefit, such as a company car or housing benefit. The fringe benefits may not exceed 50% of the base salary. Fringe benefits are taken into account according to their taxable value.

Italy: New law restricts citizenship by descent

On 28 March 2025, the Council of Ministers adopted the “citizenship package”, a set of legislative measures proposed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to reform the citizenship regulations. These measures restrict citizenship by descent.

The reform proceeds in two stages: some provisions will take effect immediately through a decree-law, and subsequently, a comprehensive reform of the substantive requirements and procedures concerning citizenship will be implemented.

The decree-law approved on 28 March 2025 states that Italian descendants born abroad will automatically be citizens for only two generations: only those with at least one parent or grandparent born in Italy will be citizens from birth.

Applications for recognition of citizenship by descent that were submitted before the end of 27 March 2025 will be processed according to the previous regulations.

While the decree is already in effect, it must be approved by the Italian parliament and converted into law within 60 days to remain valid, and may be amended in this period.

Consular appointments for citizenship by descent applications have already been suspended. No new appointments can be booked for the time being. Moreover, those who have booked an appointment starting from 2 April 2025 will receive a communication of suspension from the consulate by email.

In the second phase, further and more detailed changes to the citizenship law will be introduced with a first draft law (also approved on 28 March 2025 but still under review). This law primarily requires citizens born and residing abroad to maintain real ties with Italy over time, exercising the rights and duties of citizenship at least once every twenty-five years.

The reform is completed with a second draft law that also revises the procedures for citizenship recognition. Residents abroad will no longer contact consulates but will instead go to a special centralised office at the Italian Foreign Ministry. A transitional period of about one year will be allowed for the establishment of this office. The goal is to make the procedures more efficient, with clear economies of scale. Consulates will need to focus on providing services to those who are already citizens, not on “creating” new citizens.

Finally, the provision includes other measures to improve and modernise service delivery: legalisations, civil registries, passports, identity cards valid for travel abroad.

Luxembourg: New list of shortage occupations published

The 2025 list of occupations in high shortage has just been published in the Official Journal.

This list highlights occupations (including their sub-categories) that are in high demand among recruiters but have very few available candidates registered with ADEM. This year, 22 occupations have been identified, compared to 24 in the previous year. Employers seeking skilled workers in these fields can benefit from simplified and expedited procedures for hiring third-country nationals.

As required by law, the list is reviewed annually in the first quarter, based on objective data from the previous year. Key factors include:

The number of job vacancies reported to the ADEM labour agency
The number of registered job seekers in the same occupation
The number of vacancies for which no suitable candidate could be matched

Several new occupations have been added for 2025, particularly in the mechanics sector:

Industrial Mechanical Maintenance (I1310)
Aircraft Maintenance (I1602)
Bodywork Repair (I1606)

Additionally, Management Consultants (M1402) and Railway Network Traffic Agents (N4401) have been included.

At the same time, some occupations have been removed:

Back and Middle Office Financial Market Management (C1302)
Roofing Installation and Restoration (F1610)
Production Management and Engineering (H2502)
Installation and Maintenance of Industrial and Operational Equipment (I1304)
Psychology (K1104)
Human Resources Development (M1502)
IT Systems Consulting and Project Management (M1806)

Although these professions remain in demand, the imbalance between available candidates and vacancies in 2024 no longer meets the criteria for the “high shortage” category.

Benefits for Employers

To ensure the high-shortage occupation list accurately reflects labour market needs, it is essential for employers to report all job vacancies to ADEM. This enables them to take advantage of various benefits when recruiting qualified professionals from third countries.

The application for a foreign labour certificate can be submitted by the employer either at the time of declaring a job vacancy to ADEM or later, during the validity period of the job listing. If the position falls under a high-shortage occupation, the certificate is issued within five working days of receipt confirmation. The Namibian Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security has announced that nationals from 33 more countries will from 1 April 2025 require a visa to enter Namibia.

Any traveller with a different entry purpose must submit their application with all relevant documentation to the appropriate office.

A better way to manage global immigration

Smith Stone Walters is now part of Envoy Global, the leading corporate immigration services provider committed to delivering a better way for companies to manage global immigration.

This partnership will greatly enhance our global footprint and enable us to meet the growing needs of our clients even more effectively.

If you would like to find out more about the enhanced level of global immigration services now available to your business, please contact us today.