Immigration Newsletter - October 2018

• Creation of a "Student - Mobility Program" residence permit for students coming from a European Union program involving business trips to one or more European Union countries.
  
  
• Creation of a "Job search or Business creation" card with a non-renewable validity period of 12 months, which replaces the current APS issued to students who have finished their studies in France. This card is also accessible to foreigners holding a French degree at least equivalent to the Master's degree, within four years of obtaining it.
  
  
• Creation of an "au pair" temporary residence permit valid for one year and renewable once.
  
  
• The DCEM (circulation document for foreign minors) may have a validity of less than 5 years, depending on the parents' residence permit and its validity period. However, it cannot correspond to less than one year.
  
  
• The foreign employee will have to justify six months of seniority (instead of three months currently) in order to qualify for the "Trainee ICT" status.
  
  
• The "ICT - Detached" residence permit is issued for a maximum of three years, non-renewable. However, a secondment renewal is possible after a period of six months spent outside the European Union.
  

• The maximum age to qualify for a Working Holiday Visa for Argentinian nationals has been changed to 35 (instead of 30 previously).
• A change of status is possible in France, three months before the expiration date of the visa, if the foreigner can claim a "Passport Talent" status.

• A civil partnership, a civil union or a marriage between two persons of the same sex;
  
• A partnership or civil union between two people of the opposite sex.

The Iraqi Ministry of Interior (MOI) requires companies that do not have an agreement from the Prime Minister's Office to hire foreign employees, to pay a deposit of 100,000 IQD for each visa applicant. After payment, the ministry will issue a visa approval letter. Employers will have to present copies of the updated registration documents at the MOI office in Baghdad.


AUSTRALIA - September 2018
Visa TSS, a new sponsorship in Australia

The Australian government announced in April 2017 the termination of the 482 and 457 visa. Its replacement, the Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) visa aims to fill the lack of manpower in specific areas of expertise or key sectors in Australia.

It will be granted under three categories: TSS short term, TSS medium term and TSS Labour agreement.

• The short term TSS will be valid for up to two years. The criteria will be more flexible but without the possibility of a renewal for a permanent residence visa.
  
  
• The TSS Medium term visa is valid for up to four years. Acquisition will be more selective and there is a possibility of requesting a permanent residence visa after three years.
  
  
• The TSS Labour Agreement: This category is for skilled workers whose sponsoring company has signed an agreement called the Labour Agreement. It identifies the sectors in which there is a lack of manpower in the Australian labour market, or the geographical areas which also face the same problem.

South Africa is in the process of amending the work visa legislation for foreigners by creating new types of visas. Application procedures will be simplified during the fourth quarter.


GREAT BRITAIN - October 2018
The Advisory Committee on Migration publishes a report on the impact of migration from the European Union

On 18 September 2018, the Advisory Committee on Immigration (MAC) issued a much anticipated report on the impact of immigration from the European Economic Area (EEA).
The report makes recommendations on immigration based on the results of Brexit: the end of free movement of European Union nationals in the United Kingdom and the choice by the United Kingdom of a system regulating post-Brexit immigration.
In this situation, the report recommends that the immigration system does not give special treatment to EU nationals, but encourages the immigration of highly skilled workers to the UK, in particular by removing the maximum number of category 2 visa (Tier 2 Visa) beneficiaries.

There would be two types of status for Europeans:

• Pre-settled status: for people already living in the United Kingdom for less than five years. This status allows the applicant to apply for "settled status" once the stay exceeds five years in the United Kingdom.
  
  
• Settled status: for people who have been living in the United Kingdom for more than five years. It gives the right of permanent residence for life. Even if the holder of settled status leaves the United Kingdom for a maximum period of five consecutive years, he/she will retain this status.