Blog · 2024-12-07

Relocation news digest: key immigration updates

Switzerland sets 2025 quota for skilled foreign workers

The quota has been set at 8,500 people, unchanged from the current year. Of these, 4,500 will receive a type B residence permit, while the rest will be granted short-term type L permits.

Lithuania tightens residence permit rules

Lithuanian authorities have tightened the rules for accepting residence permit applications from foreigners who apply through external service providers operating outside the country, according to Evelina Gudzinskaite, head of the Migration Department.

"External service providers will only be able to accept applications from citizens of the country in which they operate. This procedure takes effect on 30 November," she said on national radio.

The decision, she explained, was made in light of current migration trends, potential threats to national security, and the administrative capacity of the service provider in question.

In 2024 Lithuania reduced the number of external service provider centres, closing those in Jordan, Lebanon, Nepal and Sri Lanka. There are currently 30 such Vilnius-accredited centres operating in various countries.

Myanmar prepares visa-free travel agreement with Russia

Myanmar is preparing to sign a memorandum of understanding with Russia that would allow visa-free travel for citizens of both countries.

"Year after year, Myanmar has extended visa-free access for Russian citizens. The 30-day visa-free regime was recently extended for a third time, covering the period from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025. But now we are preparing a memorandum of understanding that provides for visa-free travel for citizens of both countries. Everything has been agreed and we are at the final stage. There is no limit on the term for which the memorandum will remain in force - it can be renewed every five years. Under it, citizens of Russia and Myanmar will be able to travel visa-free for up to 30 days. This should help build closer people-to-people contacts."

According to the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, as of August 2024, 2,544 Russian citizens had entered Myanmar - up 47% year-on-year compared with the same period a year earlier, when 1,725 Russians visited the country.

Since 1 July 2022, Myanmar has offered visa-free entry to Russian tourists and business travellers, and from 1 July 2023 it introduced a special tourist visa that allows Russian passport holders to stay in the country for up to six months.

Chinese banks begin refusing to work with Russian lenders

Chinese banks have begun refusing to work with Russian financial institutions that came under new US sanctions in November.

Most players have already severed ties with them, according to Alexey Poroshin, general director of Pervaya Gruppa.

Bank of China is already refusing to accept payments from the Russian banks placed on the new US SDN list, confirmed Alexey Razumovsky, commercial director of Impaya Rus. China's Bank of Kunlun has also begun sending out warnings that it will stop accepting payments.

Iran launches a SWIFT alternative

Iran has developed and put into operation a payment system called ACUMER, an analogue of the international financial messaging system SWIFT.

Built by Iranian technical specialists, ACUMER enables the exchange of financial messages between union members in line with the modern standards adopted by SWIFT. The system serves as the infrastructure for processing payments between its members.

A few years ago, SWIFT was the primary tool for handling international payments, channelling almost all of the world's banking traffic. However, after Western countries threatened to disconnect Russia from the system in 2014, alternative solutions began to emerge: Russia's Financial Messaging System, China's Cross-Border Interbank Payment System, and India's own transfer system.

It was also reported that Iran will begin using Russia's Mir cards from January 2025.

Canada: new skilled worker selection programme in Quebec

As announced earlier, Quebec's Skilled Worker Selection Programme (PRTQ) was replaced by a new programme for the selection of skilled workers for permanent residence (PSTQ) as of 29 November 2024. The PSTQ will become available on 30 June 2025.

The new PSTQ imposes stricter French-language requirements, whereas the previous PRTQ did not require applicants to speak French at all.

UAE: rules on renewing or cancelling permits issued by the DIFC

The requirement to renew or suspend expired permits issued by the Dubai International Financial Centre within 30 days of expiry now applies to all types of work permits, including employee ID cards.

Previously this rule applied only to residence permits.

Employers who fail to renew or suspend such permits within the set deadlines may be fined $2,000.

Israel: rules on hiring foreign workers in certain sectors

Facing an acute labour shortage in a number of industries, the Israeli government has introduced a new policy allowing employers in the following sectors (among others) to hire foreign workers from countries that have no bilateral mobility agreement with Israel: construction and infrastructure, wholesale and retail trade (including transport), auto mechanics, and cleaning services.

The new scheme, called "E2E Employment (Employer-to-Employee)," streamlines the work-permit process for eligible workers by allowing employers to establish a direct employment relationship without going through an intermediary agency.

UK visa refusals for Russians nearly halve

In 2024, Russian tourists were refused UK visas roughly half as often as in 2023, according to new figures on entry documents for the United Kingdom published on the British government's website.

The data shows that over the first nine months of 2024, Russians filed almost 44,800 visa applications, of which only 5,300 were refused - an approval rate of 87%.

Australia: Skills in Demand visa takes effect

The new Skills in Demand visa, with three possible pathways depending on the foreign worker's expected earnings in Australia, becomes available on 7 December 2024.

Spain: easier path to legal status

Reforms to Spain's immigration law will include the following changes:

liberalisation of family-based immigration routes: the creation of new permits and an expansion of eligibility for the existing family reunification permit;
an extension of the permitted stay under one of the two job-seeker permit routes;
liberalisation of the routes for regularising the status of undocumented foreign nationals.

These reforms are intended to expand the country's labour market in response to persistent workforce shortages across many industries.

Although the reforms have already been approved at the legislative level, they will only take effect on 20 May 2025.

FAQ

Does Switzerland have quotas for work permits?

Yes. Switzerland sets an annual quota for permits issued to workers from outside the EU and EFTA, and it is split between the cantons. The quota is divided between longer term B permits and short term L permits. The number is reviewed every year, so check the figure set for the current year.

What is the difference between a B and an L permit in Switzerland?

A B permit is a residence permit, usually issued for a year or more and renewable, which gives you a more stable footing. An L permit is short term, tied to a specific contract and expires when the contract does. Both fall under the annual quotas for workers from outside the EU and EFTA.

Can you apply for a Lithuanian residence permit from another country?

Lithuania accepts documents through accredited visa centres abroad, but each centre may only serve nationals of the country it operates in. The network of centres gets trimmed from time to time on security and capacity grounds. Check the migration department site to see which centre can legally take your file.

Do Russians need a visa for Myanmar?

Myanmar has repeatedly opened visa free entry to Russian citizens for short trips and has discussed a standing mutual agreement. Arrangements like this are usually granted for a fixed term and renewed by separate decisions, so the status can change. Confirm with the embassy and your airline before flying.