Global immigration news from around the world
This week, the Global Immigration team at Smith Stone Walters would like to highlight the following recent updates from Sweden, Canada, New Zealand and the United States.
Sweden
Residence and work permit applications now available in Pakistan
On 9 April 2025, the Swedish Migration Agency resumed its residence and work permit activities in Pakistan. Applicants needing to submit biometric data, have their passport checked or be interviewed after submitting an application can once again do so at the embassy of Sweden in Islamabad.
The previous requirement to travel to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia has been withdrawn.
This applies to Pakistani citizens and individuals with resident status in Pakistan who have been instructed by the Swedish Migration Agency to contact a Swedish embassy for an interview, passport check and/or to be fingerprinted and photographed.
This does not apply to those who are applying for a Schengen visa to visit Sweden for a short stay. Those who want to submit an application for a Schengen visa for a short visit to Sweden of up to 90 days are still required to submit their application to VFS Global in Bangkok, Yangon, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Manila, Cebu, Jakarta, Bali, Phnom Penh, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Tokyo or Seoul.
Once an application has been submitted to VFS Global, it will be sent to the embassy of Sweden in Bangkok for processing and a decision.
Canada
British Colombia updates its Provincial Nominee Programme
The Province of British Colombia (BC) has announced that it is updating its Provincial Nominee Programme (PNP) following the federal government’s decision to reduce the nomination allocation spots.
BC had fully met its allocation for 2024 to nominate 8000 workers and entrepreneurs who support provincial priorities, and the Province has requested an allocation of 11,000 for 2025. However, in January 2025, BC’s 2025 allocation was cut to 4000 by the federal government.
As part of the updated approach, the Province will process the majority of its application inventory and accept approximately 1100 new applications this year, mainly for positions that contribute directly to the delivery of health-care services, such as doctors, nurses and allied-health professionals.
The remaining 2,900 spaces will be used to nominate some of the applications already received.
- International Post-Graduate (IPG) applications received between 1 September 2024 and 7 January 2025 will be waitlisted until more nominations become available. All other applications received in 2024 and early 2025 will be processed in 2025.
- The BC PNP does not expect to resume general or priority occupation targeted invitations to apply (ITAs) in 2025. Instead, the program will issue a limited number of ITAs to Skills Immigration registrants who are likely to create high economic impact in B.C.; the programme anticipates nominating approximately 100 such individuals from the registration pool, which currently has more than 10,000 candidates. Invitations may also be issued to support the Province’s strategic goals. These factors – which may vary for each draw – will be published at the time of each invitation to apply. The program expects to issue the first ITA for high economic impact candidates in early May.
- Invitations to apply will continue to be issued to Entrepreneur Immigration registrants throughout 2025.
- Effective immediately, eligibility for the Health Authority stream will be restricted to positions that contribute directly to the provision of healthcare services, such as doctors, nurses and allied health professionals. The complete list of eligible healthcare occupations can be found at this link.
- Based on consultations with the Ministry of Education and Child Care, future targeted invitations to apply (ITAs) will focus on Early Childhood Educator positions. Early Childhood Educator Assistants will no longer be part of the targeted draws.
- In consultation with the Ministry of Health, enhanced guidelines will be developed for social workers and community service workers.
- The BC PNP is committed to returning to a three-month service standard for new applications submitted in 2025.
- The BC PNP is pausing plans to launch three new student streams until B.C.’s allocation levels are restored.
The Province will continue to advocate for the federal government to restore the BC Provincial Nominee Program allocation to previous levels, to support BC’s efforts to attract and retain in demand professionals.
New Zealand
Timor-Leste to be added to Recognised Employer Scheme
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has announced that, effective 28 April 2025, Timor-Leste will be added to the list of eligible countries able to participate in the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme.
The Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme helps employers in the horticulture and viticulture industries to recruit seasonal workers from overseas, primarily from Pacific countries, when no suitable New Zealand workers are available.
From 28 April 2025, employers will be eligible to recruit citizens of Timor-Leste to work in New Zealand in these industries.
Applicants from Timor-Leste will have the same health requirements as all other RSE applicants. However, as it is not on the list of countries with a low incidence of tuberculosis, applicants will be required to provide a chest X-ray certificate with their application.
United States
Cap Reached for Additional Returning Worker H-2B Visas for the Early Second Half of FY 2025
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has received enough petitions to reach the cap for the additional 19,000 H-2B visas made available for returning workers for the early second half of fiscal year (FY) 2025 with start dates from 1 April to 14 May 2025, under the H-2B supplemental cap temporary final rule (FY 2025 TFR).
18 April 2025, was the final receipt date for petitions requesting supplemental H-2B visas under the FY 2025 early second half returning worker allocation. USCIS will reject and return any cap-subject petitions received after 18 April 2025, for H-2B returning workers with the above start dates, together with any accompanying fees.
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