CSE ER - EXTERNAL IMMIGRATION NEWSLETTER


French Version


	Immigration Newsletter- July 2018

IMMIGRATION IN FRANCE

1/ Outsourcing of Visa applications in the US

With the help of VFS Global, French consulates in the US are currently implementing new procedures for booking and management of visa applications for France.

This outsourcing has already been implemented in many countries and will continue to spread worldwide.

As of April 18, 2018, the VFS office in Washington DC reviews visa applications on an appointment basis with applicants who reside in the area and fall under the French consulate’s responsibility.

For the rest of the country, new offices have progressively opened: New Orleans and Houston opened on May 30, Chicago opened on June 5, Boston on June 6, San Francisco on June 27, Los Angeles on June 28, Miami and Atlanta will open on July 19 and New York on July 26.

The current process remains in effect until the opening date of each office. Once they are all open, applicants will be able to apply for their visas at the VFS office which is very convenient.

Service fees will apply and may be paid online at the same time as the booking date. To promote student mobility and further connect with applicants, an at home or at work mobile collecting service for visa applications will be proposed.

	2/ Exchange of Driver’s licences

	As of 2018, the procedure to exchange your driver’s licences has been substantially extended. Requests are now solely handled by the “Prefecture of Nantes” with the exemption of residents living in Paris, where the Prefecture still handles the exchange requests. Currently, the lead time is approximately 8 months to obtain a French driving licence. Some Prefectures continue to accept applications, however, the files are then transferred to the “Prefecture of Nantes” for handling. Please note that the Prefecture may request the original driver’s licence for the application filing. The result is that you will therefore only be able to drive in France (with a copy of your original driver’s licence, translated into French) and not abroad. Also, people with driver’s licences issued by a country within the European Union or the European Economic Area (EEA) are not required to change their driver’s licence. Their current European licence allows them to drive in France. However, in the event of a traffic offence resulting in a restriction, suspension, cancellation of licence or loss of points, the holder of the European driver’s licence will be required to pass the French driver’s licence. In the event of a traffic violation, the original driver’s licence will be withdrawn.

	3/ Draft law n° 714 on immigration and asylum, registered with the Presidency of the National Assembly on February 21, 2018

	The French government decided to implement this law with immediate effect. Public meetings held by the senators took place in June 2018, as did the Joint Committee. Amendments have been proposed, in particular for intra-company transfers. To be eligible for immigration to France, the ICT Détaché must have at least twelve months of tenure, compared to three months currently. As for the trainee ICT, the initial proposal of 6 months is maintained (currently it is three months).

	4/ European Directive concerning secondment employees in the European Union

	On Tuesday, 29 May 2018 the European Parliament approved a reform for seconded work in Strasbourg, France. The focus was to reduce unfair practices and to promote the concept that the same work performed in the same location should be paid in the same manner. The new rules for this directive are as follows: the principle of equal pay between seconded employees and national employees for the same job in the same location. secondment duration: it is fixed at twelve months, with a possible extension up to eighteen months. application date: Member States have two years to apply the directive into their national law. On the other hand, the specific question of road transport, a sector that provides a large number of seconded employees, has been put on hold for the moment.



	EXPATRIATION SWITZERLAND Labour Market testing for certain professions with high unemployment rates Companies wanting to employ foreign nationals in certain professions will need to advertise the position online through the Public Employment Service (PES) for a minimum of 5 days starting on 01 July 2018. In order to check a specific position, please use the following link: https://www.arbeit.swiss/secoalv/en/home/menue/unternehmen/stellenmeldepflicht/tool.html Within three days of publication, companies will receive a list of potential candidates from the unemployment office. The hiring process of foreign nationals will therefore take longer. Exceptions to the rule: If the position has been taken by a relative of the company’s legal representative. If it is a mandatory internship or apprenticeship. If the employee has worked for the company for at least 6 months. If the period of the work contract is less than 15 days. If the employer has already found the candidate through the unemployment office.



	SINGAPORE Changes made towards the exemptions of the Employment Pass (EP) job advertising requirements will be implemented starting from 01 July 2018. As of 01 July 2018, a job offer will have to be published in Singapore first for the Employment Pass.

	Before 01 July 2018	After 01 July 2018
Size of the company	Small companies with 25 or fewer employees	Small companies with 10 or fewer employees
Fixed monthly salary	Jobs that pay a fixed monthly salary of S$12 000 or more	Jobs that pay a fixed monthly salary of S$15 000 or more
Type of visa	The holders of an ICT (Intracompany Transfer) visa	Idem
Length of stay	The job is necessary for only short-term contingencies (i.e for a period of less than one month)	Idem



	KAZAKHSTAN Repeal of Work permit Foreign nationals of foreign companies present in Kazakhstan (with a foreign share of 100% in their charter capital) no longer need a quota for a work permit if they hold the position of chief executive or deputy (of a chief executive). They may now obtain or renew a two or three-year work permit. The fees for this visa (two or three years) will be double or three times more than the price for a one-year visa. ISRAEL Changes for Hi-Tech professions The Israeli Government has announced that all applicants for Hi-Tech visas (HIT) must submit their visa applications to the Israeli consulate in their home country. The HIT Visa is only available to employees of “Hi-Tech” companies approved by the Israeli Innovations Authority. The normal Short Employment Authorization (SEA) visa has been extended to a maximum of 90 days instead of the previous 45 days for HIT applicants. GABON Strengthening controls towards foreign employment in Gabon May 26, 2018 - The Gabonese authorities have decided to restructure company regulations in Gabon. This is the focus of an official note issued by the new Minister of Labour, Arnaud Engandji. As of 01 July 2018, "brigades-emplois" will be implemented throughout the country to verify that the legislation concerning the employment of foreign workers is duly respected. www.executive-relocations.com