Author Archives: ABIL

TURKEY: Recent changes in Assembly, Maintenance and Service Visas

Turkey amended its work permit regulations in January 2015 with respect to Assembly, Maintenance and Service (AMS) visas. An AMS visa is a short-term (90-day) technical work visa for foreign employees, under certain conditions, to engage in assembly, maintenance, service, or technical training work for the benefit of a Turkish company without the need for […]

HONG KONG: Hong Kong Suspended the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme

The Hong Kong Immigration Department (HKID), under the leadership of the Chief Executive, actively reviews immigration policy to better suit the ever-evolving economic development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. One of the most significant policy changes in 2015 is the suspension of the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (CIES) effective January 15, 2015. The […]

FRANCE: New Work Permit Forms Effective January 1, 2015

New work permit forms are effective January 1, 2015. For new work permit forms effective January 1, 2015, the employer abroad, the host company in France, and the employee now must provide additional information, summarized below. Information Required From the Home Company Abroad a) Registration number or employer ID number of the home company and […]

CHINA: U.S. & China Reach Agreement to Extend Short-Term Visas

The United States and China reach agreement to extend visas for short-term business travelers, tourists, students, and exchange visitors. During his visit on November 8-10, 2014, to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Beijing, U.S. President Obama announced that the U.S. and China have reached an agreement to extend the visa validity of short-term […]

Vander Elst Implementation in the European Union

This article provides an overview of Vander Elst implementation in several countries. The Vander Elst process derives from a 1994 ruling by the European Court of Justice regarding the right of a European Union (EU) company to provide services within the EU. It generally allows a non-European Economic Area (EEA) national who is legally employed […]

BELGIUM: Mandatory Fee for Some Residence Requests

The Belgian federal government has introduced a mandatory “contribution to the administrative costs” (mostly referred to in the press as a “foreigners’ tax”) with regard to some requests for residence authorization by foreigners. The government said this measure is in response to the continuing increase in the number of such applications and the resulting workload. […]

MEXICO: New

The new “Temporary Migration Regularization Program” took effect January 13. On January 12, 2015, the Mexican government published an announcement in the Federal Official Gazette about the “Temporary Migration Regularization Program,” which became effective the day after and will expire on December 18, 2015. The program incorporates requirements and procedures temporarily applicable to foreigners who […]

News from the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers Vol. 11, No. 1B • January 15, 2015

Headlines: 1. State Dept. Anticipates Visa Number Movement in Some Employment-Based Categories – Forward movement is possible in some employment-based categories in the coming months. 2. USCIS Revises Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker – Starting on May 1, 2015, USCIS will accept only the October 23, 2014, edition of the I-129. 3. Agencies Launch Awareness Campaign on Executive Actions for […]