Latest updates in global immigration
This week, the Global Immigration team at Smith Stone Walters would like to highlight the following updates from Mozambique, the Netherlands and the United States.
Mozambique: Proposed immigration changes
The Mozambican government has proposed changes to the immigration rules, including the revision of the short-term tourist visa, currently valid for 30 days, into a tourist/business visa valid for up to 90 days.
The government will also reportedly waive visa requirements for nationals of several countries, including Australia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan and the UK. A new electronic visa application system is also proposed.
Netherlands: Long-term visas for Turkish nationals
Effective 1 October 2022, many Turkish nationals intending to stay in the Netherlands for more than 90 days are required to obtain a long-term visa (MVV).
In Turkey, you can apply for this visa at the Netherlands embassy in Ankara or at the Netherlands consulate-general in Istanbul. The average processing time for MVV applications is 3 to 5 working days. At the time of your application you will receive information about when to collect your passport.
United States: USCIS reaches fiscal year 2023 H-1B cap
United States Citizenship and Immigration (USCIS) has received a sufficient number of petitions needed to reach the congressionally mandated 65,000 H-1B visa regular cap and the 20,000 H-1B visa US advanced degree exemption, known as the master’s cap, for fiscal year (FY) 2023.
USCIS has completed sending non-selection notifications to registrants’ online accounts. The status for registrations that were not selected but were properly submitted will now show:
- Not Selected: Not selected – not eligible to file an H-1B cap petition based on this registration.
USCIS will continue to accept and process petitions that are otherwise exempt from the cap. Petitions filed for current H-1B workers who have been counted previously against the cap, and who still retain their cap number, are exempt from the FY 2023 H-1B cap. USCIS will continue to accept and process petitions filed to:
- Extend the amount of time a current H-1B worker may remain in the United States;
- Change the terms of employment for current H-1B workers;
- Allow current H-1B workers to change employers; and
- Allow current H-1B workers to work concurrently in additional H-1B positions.
Expert advice on global immigration
If you need support with any aspect of worldwide immigration, Smith Stone Walters is here to help.
To speak to a member of our Global Immigration team, please contact us today.
