Global immigration news from around the world

10.03.2025

This week, the Global Immigration team at Smith Stone Walters would like to highlight the following recent updates from Canada, Finland, Iceland, Malaysia and Namibia.

Canada: New Express Entry categories announced

On 27 February 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced the 2025 Express Entry categories, which include a new education category.

For 2025, the focus of the federal economic class draws will be to invite candidates with experience working in Canada (Canadian Experience Class) to apply for permanent residence.

Additionally, to meet Francophone immigration targets and meet the acute needs in health, trades and education, IRCC will conduct category-based invitation rounds in the following categories:

strong French language skills, or
work experience in the following fields:
- health care and social services, such as family physicians, nurse practitioners, dentists, pharmacists, psychologists and chiropractors
- trades, such as carpenters, plumbers and contractors
- education, such as teachers, child care educators and instructors of persons with disabilities

Express Entry is Canada’s flagship application management system for those seeking to immigrate permanently through the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, the Canadian Experience Class and a portion of the Provincial Nominee Program.

From 2018 to 2024, admissions under the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Canadian Experience Class accounted for approximately 48% of overall French‑speaking immigrant admissions outside Quebec, and approximately 64% of French-speaking economic immigrant admissions outside of Quebec. (Note: Data are preliminary estimates and subject to change.)

In June 2022, the Government of Canada made changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to allow for the selection of immigrants based on key attributes that support economic priorities, such as specific work experience or knowledge of French.

Canada: Some temporary measures for Ukrainians have been extended

On 27 February 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that Ukrainians and their family members who arrived in Canada under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) on or before 31 March 2024, will now have until 31 March 2026 to apply for a new open work permit valid for up to three years, renew an existing work permit, or apply for a new study permit, subject to standard fees.

Those who wish to renew their status as a visitor or student can continue to apply to renew as they have.

These temporary measures will allow Ukrainians and their family members to continue to work and study in Canada during this difficult time, and eventually return home when it is safe to do so.

Access to free settlement services for all Ukrainian temporary residents and their family members in Canada are available until 31 March 2025.

Background:

The Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) was launched in March 2022 as a temporary special measure to provide immediate assistance to Ukrainians fleeing the war in Ukraine.
All CUAET clients in Canada must apply to extend their status before the expiry date of their current visitor record, work or study permit. If they apply before the expiry date, they can continue working or studying with maintained status until we make a decision on their application.
Ukrainians can still apply to extend their temporary status in Canada, even if their passport is not up-to-date. Each case will be assessed on an individual basis.

Finland: Planned changes to temporary protection legislation will enter into force in March 2025

As announced in December 2024, the Ministry of the Interior has been drafting several changes to legislation on residence permits for temporary protection, which have now been adopted.

Residence permits will be valid for the entire duration of temporary protection:

In the future, residence permits and residence permit cards for persons who have been granted temporary protection will continue to be valid for as long as the government decision on granting temporary protection is in force. Previous legislation set the maximum duration of temporary protection at three years.

In the future, a residence permit for temporary protection would always be temporary. Those who intend to settle in Finland permanently can apply for a residence permit.

Temporary protection of certain third-country nationals will end on 31 March 2025:

Third-country nationals who fled Ukraine and who did not have a permanent residence permit in Ukraine or who were not granted international protection in that country will no longer have temporary protection. This concerns around 200 people. The Finnish Immigration Service has sent a letter about this to the customers whose temporary protection will end.

Temporary protection will still apply to Ukrainian nationals and their family members, and also to third-country nationals who have obtained a permanent residence permit in Ukraine or been granted international protection in that country.

Iceland: Longer processing time for expedited processing of residence permit applications based on work

The Directorate of Immigration has noted that the service fee for expedited processing of residence permit applications based on work only covers the part of the application process that relates to processing of a residence permit with the Directorate of Immigration. It does not cover the issuance of a work permit by the Directorate of Labour. However, a work permit is a condition for the issuance of a residence permit on the basis of work.

The processing time for work permit applications in the expedited procedure at the Directorate of Labour is now seven weeks. Information on the processing time is published on the website of the Directorate of Labour.

As a result, the Directorate of Immigration cannot process applications in an expedited procedure in less than 8 to 10 weeks.

It takes a considerably longer time to process applications for residence permits based on work, for which no service fee for expedited processing is paid. The applications currently being processed in the general procedure were received last October.

Malaysia: MDEC adopts ePass system

Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) has announced that, effective 1 March 2025, an Electronic Pass (ePASS) will be issued for the pass endorsement procedure for Foreign Knowledge Workers (FKW) including their dependents.

With the implementation of ePASS, companies may download and print the ePASS from the system.

MDEC notes the following:

The FKW, and any dependents, must present the ePASS together with their passport for identification.
The ePass will only be issued when the FKW, and any dependents, is physically present in Malaysia.

Namibia: New visa on arrival requirement for certain nationalities

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.

The citizens of the following additional countries will obtain Visa on arrival in Namibia:

Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan.

Visitors from the following countries already require a visa upon arrival in Namibia:

Argentina, Belarus, Cambodia, Chile, Equatorial Guinea, Benin, Cape Verde, Croatia, Eritrea, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Comoros, Cote d’ Ivoire, Gabon, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Czech Republic, Djibouti, Ecuador, Estonia, Greece, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mexico, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Rwanda, South Korea, Liberia, São Tomé and Principe, Thailand, Madagascar, Nicaragua, Niger, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkey, Mauritania, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vatican, Vietnam and Western Sahara.

Visitors from the following countries will continue to qualify for visa-free entry:

Angola, Botswana, Brazil, Cuba, Eswatini, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Macau, Malaysia, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Russia, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Visa requirements will be applied upon arrival in Namibia and the following fees will apply from 1 April 2025:

The visa fees increase from NAD 1200 to NAD 1600 per person as of 1 April 2024 for travellers from non-African Union member states.
The travellers from Africa Union member states who qualify for visa on arrival will pay NAD 1200 per person.

Visa on arrival is only issued at Hosea Kutako International Airport, Walvis Bay International Airport, Walvis Bay Harbour, Trans-Kalahari border post, Impalila Island border post, Katima Mulilo border post, Oshikango border post, Mohembo border post, Ariamsvlei border post, Orangemund border post, Noordoewer border post and Ngoma border post for selected countries.

Visa on arrival is meant for tourist purposes only. Any traveller with a different entry purpose must submit their application with all relevant documentation to the appropriate office.

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