April 2015

PEREGRINE NEWS
This month we have added 15 new immigration processes to Immiguru, including one new
destination country - Jamaica and a group of processes for short-term assignments to
several countries in Europe and Asia.
We are also very proud that Peregrine has again been shortlisted for the Re:locate Award in
the category of Technological Innovation in Relocation, for our new global immigration case
management system, Immigo. (Peregrine won a Re:locate award in the same category in
2013 for Immiguru, and was shortlisted in 2014.)
The full shortlist appears here, and the winners of all categories will be announced on
Thursday 14 May wish us luck!

Table of Contents
SOUTH AFRICA BRICS NATIONALS RECEIVE LONG-TERM MULTIPLE-ENTRY VISAS
2
MALAYSIA UPDATED DOCUMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR EMPLOYMENT AND DEPENDANT PASS APPLICATIONS FOR
MSC MALAYSIA STATUS COMPANIES AT MDEC
3
JAPAN RESIDENCE STATUSES REORGANISED
4
MORE FROM PEREGRINE
5

peregrine: GLOBAL IMMIGRATION MADE SIMPLE

VAT registration number: 111 7916 32
Peregrine Immigration Management Ltd, Registered in England and Wales: 7569415

SOUTH AFRICA BRICS

Nationals Receive Longterm Multiple-entry Visas
On 26 February 2015, the Minister of the
Department of Home Affairs announced that,
effective retroactively on 23 December 2014,
business travellers from BRICS countries
would be issued long-term, multiple-entry
visas.

Who Qualifies?
This new measure extends to business visitors
from BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India and
China), holding diplomatic, official/services
and ordinary passports, who apply for visas to
visit South Africa for short-term business
purposes.

What Visa is Issued?

Qualifying business travellers will receive a
Port of Entry Visa (see below) valid for up to
ten years (but not exceeding the passport
validity), to allow for visits of up to 30 days at
a time.

Further Details
Companies should note that this does not
constitute an actual visa exemption or waiver,
as Russian, Indian and Chinese nationals will
still be required to apply for the initial visa
prior to travel; however, once in possession of
the visa, the holder can make multiple trips to
South Africa within the validity period, for
stays of up to 30 days at a time.
Brazilian passport holders are already part of
the Department of Home Affairs visa
waiver/exemption program and do not
require visas prior to travel for business visits
of up to 90 days.
The Department of Home Affairs believes that
this significant step will tremendously
enhance South Africas efforts to increase
trade and investment between BRICS
countries.

Action Items
Review your workforce mobility plans
to take into account these new
benefits for BRICS nationals.

What are Port of Entry Visas?

Port of Entry Visas are issued by South African
consulates abroad, but are subject to the
decision of the immigration authorities at the
port of entry, who may issue an entry visa or
not.

What is BRICS?
BRICS is the acronym for an association of five
major emerging economies. The leaders of
Brazil, Russia, India and China held their first
formal summit in 2009, and South Africa
joined the group in 2010. As of 2014, the five
BRICS countries represent almost 3 billion
people, or approximately 40% of the world
population.

peregrine: GLOBAL IMMIGRATION MADE SIMPLE

VAT registration number: 111 7916 32
Peregrine Immigration Management Ltd, Registered in England and Wales: 7569415

MALAYSIA Updated
Document Requirements
for Employment and
Dependant Pass
Applications for MSC
Malaysia Status companies
at MDeC
Effective 13 April 2015, the Multimedia
Development Corporation (MDeC) has
updated its application process and
supporting document requirements for
Employment and Dependant Pass
Applications for Multimedia Super Corridor
(MSC) Status companies.

What Has Changed?

There are changes to the order of submission
and whether originals or copies are required,
for both the Stage 1 (approval) and Stage 2
(endorsement) applications. Updated
document checklists are available here.
Most documents must now be uploaded to
the e-Xpats system, with only original
passports, passport photographs and release
letters from previous employers (if applicable)
submitted manually at Stage 2.

Background
The Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) is a
Special Economic Zone in Malaysia designed
to promote development of the Malaysian ICT
industry. The Multimedia Development
Corporation (MDeC) administers Employment
Passes for MSC status Companies and other
ICT companies.
Other Employment Passes and expatriate
services are managed by the Expatriate
Services Division (ESD), which launched its
online application services in 2014.

Action Items
MSC Malaysia status companies
submitting Employment Pass and
Dependant Pass applications via
MDeC must ensure that they refer to
the new document checklists.
Arrange for the employment contract
to be stamped with an RM10.00
Revenue Stamp a the Malaysian
stamping office before online
submission at Stage 2.

Under the previous requirements, the original

signed employment contract was submitted
at Stage 1, and MDeC would have It stamped
at the Malaysian stamping office.
Now, a signed copy of the employment
contract is to be uploaded at Stage 1, and a
stamped copy must be uploaded at Stage 2.
Therefore, MSC Malaysia status companies
are now required to arrange for the
employment contract to be stamped before
the Stage 2 endorsement application.

peregrine: GLOBAL IMMIGRATION MADE SIMPLE

VAT registration number: 111 7916 32
Peregrine Immigration Management Ltd, Registered in England and Wales: 7569415

JAPAN Residence
Statuses Reorganised
On 1 April 2015 Japans Immigration Bureau
introduced some amendments to the
Immigration Control Act, partially reorganising
the residence categories available to foreign
nationals, with some benefits to highly skilled
foreign workers, managers and
entrepreneurs.

Business Manager
As of 1 April 2015, foreign nationals
engaged in the management of
companies are eligible to apply for the
Business Manager residence status,
previously known as
Investor/Business Manager,
regardless of any investment in a
company registered in Japan.
This residence status was previously
only available to foreign nationals
occupied in the management of at
least partially foreign-owned
companies, but has now been opened
to managers of Japanese-owned
companies as well.
Also as of 1 April 2015, foreign
nationals planning to establish a
business in Japan can apply for
Business Manager residence status
before their company has been
registered in Japan.
In this case, they must apply for and
submit the company's Articles of
Incorporation (and other relevant
documents) instead of the Certificate
of Company Registration. If successful
they will receive temporary residence

status for four months, which can be

extended once they have completed
the company registration in Japan.

Highly Skilled Professional

As of 1 April 2015 a new residence
category of Highly Skilled
Professional has been introduced for
foreign nationals with advanced and
specialised skills who would
previously have been given
Designated Activities status.
Qualifying activities include academic
research, advanced technical activities
and business management.
As previously, highly skilled
professionals who score more than 70
points for their skills, experience and
salary get preferential immigration
treatment, such as a longer,
extendable duration of stay, work
permission for a spouse, a fast track
to permanent residence and the right
to sponsor parents and domestic
workers as dependents.
Foreign nationals with the status of
residence of Highly Skilled
Professional (i), or those holding the
status of "Designated Activities", who
have been engaging in the activities
coming under this status of residence
for three years or more, are eligible
for the status of residence of Highly
Skilled Professional (ii). This allows an
indefinite period of stay and
permission to engage in certain other
professional activities alongside those
that come under the Highly Skilled
Professional (i) status.

peregrine: GLOBAL IMMIGRATION MADE SIMPLE

VAT registration number: 111 7916 32
Peregrine Immigration Management Ltd, Registered in England and Wales: 7569415

Other Amendments
The previous division between
Engineer and Specialist in
Humanities/International Services has
been removed and the two categories
have been consolidated into one
status of residence called
Engineer/Specialist in
Humanities/International Services.
The Student status of residence has
been extended to international
students at Japanese elementary and
junior high schools.

Action items

MORE FROM PEREGRINE

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DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this immigration newsletter has been
abridged from laws, court decisions, and administrative rulings and should not be
construed or relied upon as legal advice. If you have specific questions regarding the
applicability of this information, please contact Peregrine 2014 Peregrine
Immigration Management Ltd.

Note that managers employed by

wholly Japanese-owned businesses
now also qualify for the Business
Manager status of residence, and
that founders of as-yet unregistered
new businesses may qualify for a fourmonth stay under this status while
arranging the registration of their
company.
Note that highly skilled foreign
professionals with the previous
Designated Activities status may
qualify for Highly Skilled Professional
(ii) status if they meet certain
criteria, without first converting to
Highly Skilled Professional (i).o be
ready for filing on 26 May 2015.

peregrine: GLOBAL IMMIGRATION MADE SIMPLE

VAT registration number: 111 7916 32
Peregrine Immigration Management Ltd, Registered in England and Wales: 7569415