Peregrine News March 2016

March 2016
PEREGRINE NEWS
Immiguru
Last month we added seven new immigration processes to Immiguru, including two new countries
Oman and Sri Lanka:
Oman Employment Visa;

Oman GCC Nationals;
Sri Lanka Residence Visa (Employment);
Philippines - 9(g) Pre-arranged Employment Visa for Work Permit Exempt Occupations;
Philippines - Special Non-Immigrant 47(a)(2) Visa for Work Permit Exempt Occupations;
Egypt - Temporary Work Authorisation (Under 30 Days);
Dominican Republic Short Term Work Permit (Under 11 Months).
We also welcomed new partners in Oman, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Hong Kong, Brazil, Uruguay, China
and Colombia to our network.
Immiguru now contains over 1200 immigration processes to more than 95 destination countries,
which our 230+ partners help us to keep up-to-date to reflect changes to rules and procedures
around the world.
Immigo
In March we added a useful new way to filter reports by multiple consultants, as well as two new
notification trigger events Deposit Added and New Company Created.
Please call or email us if you ever need any help with this or anything else in Immigo we are always
pleased to hear from you.
More News and Events
We ran a very successful webinar on Tuesday 8 March on Oil and Gas and Immigration in Africa.
We also passed our annual ISO 27001 information security certification audit, underlining our
commitment to the security of our clients data and the reliability of our software and systems. Our
clients can rest assured that data is safe with Peregrine.
We are proud to have been shortlisted, in partnership with Luminary Global Immigration, in the
Most Innovative Use of Technology in Global Mobility Bespoke category at the Forum for
Expatriate Management (FEM) Americas Expatriate Management and Mobility Awards (EMMAs).
Finally, a reminder that the Peregrine team will be out in force at the EuRA conference in Malta this
April, hosting EuRAs first ever Immigration Symposium on Tuesday 19 April.
peregrine: GLOBAL IMMIGRATION MADE SIMPLE

VAT registration number: 111 7916 32
Peregrine Immigration Management Ltd, Registered in England and Wales: 7569415
Table of Contents
SWITZERLAND QUOTAS FOR EU/EFTA L PERMITS EXHAUSTED FOR FIRST QUARTER OF 2016
KENYA NEW ONLINE IMMIGRATION APPLICATION SYSTEM LAUNCHED
COLOMBIA GOVERNMENT EXTENDS VISA-FREE ENTRY TO SOME NATIONALS OF CAMBODIA AND MYANMAR;
AND CHANGES ENTRY PERMIT CATEGORY FOR SCHENGEN NATIONALS
CHINA NEW ONLINE PRE-APPROVAL SYSTEM DELAYS WORK PERMIT PROCESSING IN BEIJING
INDIA E-TOURIST VISA EXTENDED TO 37 MORE NATIONALITIES; AND PIO-OCI MERGER SCHEME DEADLINE
EXTENDED
INDIA NEW MULTIPLE-ENTRY VISA FOR SOUTH ASIAN BUSINESS TRAVELLERS
CANADA GOVERNMENT ALLOWS LENIENCY PERIOD FOR ELECTRONIC TRAVEL AUTHORISATION
UNITED KINGDOM NEW IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY FEES FOR 2016/2017
UNITED KINGDOM POINTS BASED CALCULATOR TO BE DISCONTINUED
UNITED KINGDOM CHANGES TO THE IMMIGRATION RULES FROM APRIL 2016
UNITED KINGDOM GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO TIER 2
THAILAND NEW MEASURES TO COUNTER VISA OVERSTAY
NIGERIA IMMEDIATE NATIONWIDE LONG TERM WORK PERMIT VERIFICATION EXERCISE ANNOUNCED
PERU EU SIGNS VISA WAIVER AGREEMENT
BRAZIL NEW VISA APPLICATION WEBSITE LAUNCHED
SOUTH KOREA TUBERCULOSIS TEST REQUIRED FOR CERTAIN LONG-TERM VISA APPLICANTS
GREECE CHANGES TO TRANSLATION SERVICES AT THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
GHANA VISA ON ARRIVAL PLANNED FOR NATIONALS OF AFRICAN UNION STATES
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SWITZERLAND Quotas for

EU/EFTA L Permits
Exhausted for First Quarter
of 2016
The quota for L permits for the first quarter of
2016, for short-term assignees from European
Union (EU) / European Free Trade Agreement
(EFTA) countries, has been filled.
Who is Affected?
New, incoming EU/EFTA nationals who are
assigned to Switzerland but remain on foreign
employment contracts will not be issued L
permits until 1 April 2016.
Who is Not Affected?

The quota for B permits, and permits not
subject to quotas, such as the 120 day permit
and the 4 month short term permit) are not
affected. Quotas for non-EU/EFTA nationals
are also not affected.
Background
The Swiss government decided to keep the
reduced amount of permit quota for the year
2016 (see our alert of 11 November 2015).
The quotas are allocated to the cantons on a
quarterly basis.
Action Items
Allow for possible delays with
sending EU/EFTA nationals to
Switzerland. Contact your supplier
for any new EU/EFTA national
assignments to Switzerland, as
pending applications will be
treated differently depending on
the canton.
KENYA New Online

Immigration Application
System Launched
Effective 2 March 2016, foreign nationals
applying for immigration documents must use
the new electronic Foreign Nationals Services
(eFNS) portal.
However, the online portal is not yet fully
operational, and manual applications may still
be necessary in some cases.
Which applications can be made

through eFNS?
The eFNS has been established by the
Department of Immigration Services to
manage the following applications:
Foreign Nationals Certificate
(Alien Card), Re-Entry Pass and
Extension of Visitors Pass;
Work/Residence Permits (all
classes, depending on activity);
Dependent Pass, Student Pass and
Special Pass (for short-term work
and business activities up to six
months);
Permanent Residence;
Citizenship.
How does eFNS work?

An applicant must obtain an eCitizen single
sign-on account. They can then log in and
apply for any of the Foreign National Services
here, and must pay for the services online.
Action Items
Expect some delays and
uncertainty as the new system is
implemented.

COLOMBIA Government
Extends Visa-Free Entry to
Some Nationals of
Cambodia and Myanmar;
And Changes Entry Permit
Category for Schengen
Nationals
Effective 2 February 2016, the Colombian
government has authorised certain nationals
of Colombia and Myanmar to enter Colombia
without a visa.
The Colombian government has also decided
to issue Schengen nationals with PIP-5 entry
and stay permits instead of the PIP-10
category introduced in November 2015.
Nationals of Cambodia and

Myanmar
The new visa exemption is available to
nationals of Cambodia and Myanmar who
hold a residence permit in a State
of the Schengen area or in the
United States; or
hold a Schengen visa type C or D,
or a visa to the United States
(other than in the Class C-1 transit
category).
Qualifying nationals of these two countries
arriving in Colombia will receive a temporary
visitor permit (PIP) in the relevant category,
depending on the activities to be undertaken
in Colombia (PIP-1 to PIP-8). They will then be
able to apply post arrival for a TP-4 temporary
work visa or a TP-13 visa for urgent technical
work.
Schengen Nationals
The PIP-10 entry permit, recently created for
nationals of Schengen Area states, has been
replaced by another category of entry permit:
PIP-5, which used to be the entry permit given
for those who travel for tourism to Colombia.
The PIP-5 for Schengen nationals will allow
the same activities (short visits including
tourism, business and journalism, sports,
artistic performances and intra-corporate
training) for an initial term of 90 days within
180 days and is also renewable.
The PIP-5 gives Schengen nationals exemption
from VAT for any tourist activities carried out
in Colombia.
Action Items
Anyone assisting a qualifying
national of Cambodia or Myanmar
to obtain work authorisation for
Colombia should consider taking
advantage of the post arrival
processes.
Expect Schengen Area nationals
arriving in Colombia to be issued a
PIP-5 Entry and Stay Permit.
CHINA New Online PreApproval System delays

Work Permit Processing In
Beijing
Effective 4 January 2016, the Beijing Labour
Bureau has introduced an online pre-approval
system for Employment Licence and Work
Permit applications, among others.
At present, the new pre-approval is taking
three to five days to process, after which a

manual application must still be made at the

Labour Bureau.
How Does It Work?

For all Employment Licence and Work Permit
applications in Beijing, an online application
form must now be completed and certain
supporting documents scanned and uploaded.
The status of the application can be checked
online and, when it has been approved, an
application report has to be printed and
submitted manually to the Labour Bureau,
along with all the original supporting
documents.
Action Items
Allow an extra week for Employment
Licence and Work Permit application
processing in Beijing.
INDIA e-Tourist Visa

extended to 37 More
Nationalities; and PIO-OCI
Merger Scheme Deadline
Extended
The Indian government has extended its eTourist Visa (eTV) scheme to include
applicants from a further 37 countries
effective 26 February, thus bringing the
number of eligible nationalities for the eTV
scheme to 150.
In addition, the Indian government has
extended the deadline for Overseas Citizens
of India (OCI) registrations for all Person of
Indian Origin (PIO) card holders from 31
March 2016 to 30 June 2016.
e-Tourist Visa
Who is Eligible?
The eTV is now available to a total of 150
nationalities, including nationals of the
following additional countries (unless they are
of Pakistani origin or holders of Diplomatic or
Official passports):
Albania, Austria, Bosnia & Herzegovina,
Botswana, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cape Verde,
Comoros, Cote dIvoire, Croatia, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Eritrea, Gabon, Gambia,
Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Iceland, Lesotho,
Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Moldova,
Namibia, Romania, San Marino, Senegal,
Serbia, Slovakia, South Africa, Swaziland,
Switzerland, Tajikistan, Trinidad & Tobago,
Zambia, Zimbabwe.
A full list of eligible nationalities can be found
here.
Permissible Activities and Duration of Stay
The visa is available to those traveling on
leisure, for short duration medical treatment,
for a "casual business visit" or to meet friends
and relatives. Travellers must show proof of
onward travel and sufficient funds.
The definition of "casual business visit" is not
clear and if there is any uncertainty over
whether the activities to be carried out qualify
as a business visit, this should be checked with
an immigration adviser.
The eTV is valid for 30 days from the date of
arrival in India, is non-extendable, nonconvertible and allows a maximum of two
visits in a calendar year.
How Does it Work?
This visa applicant must apply online, at least
four days before the intended date of arrival
to India, for an e-TV. The visa fee (about
US$60) should be paid at this time. A digital
photograph and copy of the passport

information page must be uploaded as part of

the application.
The successful applicant should receive their
eTV within 72 hours, which they must carry at
the time of travel. On arrival in India at one of
16 designated airports, the traveller will go
through biometric registration.
OCI Card Registration
India Business Card

The new business visa, to be called the "India
Business Card", will be granted for five years
or less, to businessmen of any member state
of the SAARC, including Pakistan, Afghanistan,
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives. Nationals
of Bhutan and Nepal, also SAARC member
states, do not require a visa for India.
the Indian government has extended the

deadline for Overseas Citizens of India (OCI)
registrations for all Person of Indian Origin
(PIO) card holders from 31 March 2016 to 30
June 2016.
Pakistani Nationals
Currently, Pakistani nationals are eligible for a
multiple-entry business visa for a maximum
period of one year, and can travel to ten
cities. The new scheme allows travel to 15
cities for three years.
The Person of Indian Origin (PIO) scheme was

merged with the Overseas Citizens of India
(OCI) scheme in January 2015. All existing PIO
card holders are to be granted OCI status,
with lifelong multiple-entry visas and
exemption from police registration
procedures, on registration for the OCI
scheme.
For Pakistani nationals to qualify for a threeyear multiple-entry card, they should run an
enterprise worth INR ten million (Indian
rupees) and should have an annual income of
at least PKR one million (Pakistani rupees).
The Pakistani enterprise should also be a
member of any Chamber of Commerce in
Pakistan that India recognises.
Action Items
An added advantage is that under the new

scheme, Pakistani entrepreneurs will be
exempted from reporting at the local police
station, which is generally mandatory for
Pakistani nationals coming to India on any
other visa now.
Review upcoming trips by qualifying

nationals and bear in mind that the eTourist Visa may be a suitable route in
some business travel cases.
PIO card holders should register for
the OCI scheme by 30 June 2016.
INDIA New Multiple-Entry

Visa for South Asian
Business Travellers
From 1 April 2016, India will offer multi-city,
multiple-entry business visas to nationals of
South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation (SAARC) countries coming to
India on business.
Action Items
Business travellers from SAARC
member states should consider
applying for an Indian Business Card
for greater freedom of travel to India.
CANADA Government
Allows Leniency Period for

Electronic Travel
Authorisation
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has
announced that, from 15 March 2016 to
Autumn 2016, visa exempt foreign national
travellers who do not yet have an Electronic
Travel Authorisation (eTA) can board their
flight, as long as they have an appropriate
travel document, such as a valid passport, and
meet the other requirements to enter
Canada.
What is the eTA?

From 15 March 2016, visa exempt foreign
nationals are expected to have an Electronic
Travel Authorisation (eTA) to fly to or transit
through Canada. The eTA is an online
registration system that travellers access
online. eTAs are valid for five years, or until
the expiration date of a passport, whichever
comes first.
Who Needs an eTA?

The eTA requirement applies to travelers who
do not need a visa to enter Canada and who
are planning to arrive by air. Visa exempt
countries include the UK, Japan, Australia,
Korea, countries in the European Union and
more.
The eTA requirement does not apply to
citizens of the US and it is not required if a
person is entering at a land or sea port of
entry.
A list of nationalities requiring an eTA is
available here.
From sometime after March 2016, nationals
of Brazil, Bulgaria, Mexico or Romania who
hold a current US non-immigrant visa, or who
have held a Canadian visa in the past ten
years, will be allowed to enter Canada with an

eTA instead of a visa.
What is the eTA Application

Process?
The eTA process involves entering a travelers
personal details and passport information into
an online portal and paying a fee of $7CAD.
Every traveler must obtain an eTA including
children.
In most cases, CIC will approve the eTA within
minutes of applying. In situations where an
immediate decision is not given, CIC will
follow up with applicants with requests to
obtain more information.
Action Items
Visa-waiver nationals (other than US
nationals) travelling to Canada should
register for an eTA before travelling,
as the leniency period is temporary.
UNITED KINGDOM New

Immigration and
Nationality Fees for
2016/2017
On 26 February 2016, UK Visas & Immigration
(UKVI) announced that new fees for
2016/2017 will come into effect on 18 March
2016.
What are the Main Changes?

There is a small increase of 2% for
work, study and visit visas;
Applications made outside the UK
under Tier 2 of the Points Based
System have increased from 564 to
575 for a three year visa, and from

1128 to 1151 for a visa issued for

up to five years;
Applications made in-country have
increased from 651 to 664 for a
three year visa, and from 1,302 to
1,328 for a visa issued for a period of
five years;
The same fees will apply for each
dependent. The cost for assigning a
Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to an
individual has remained the same at
199;
Applications submitted via the Priority
Postal Service for in-country
applications have increased by 25%
from 300 to 375;
Settlement applications have
increased by 25% from 1,500 to
1,875. The same fees will apply for
each dependent;
In-country applications made inperson via the same-say service at a
Premium Service Centre have
increased by 25% from 400 to 500;
The fees for Nationality applications
have increased by 25%. Each
individual applying will now be
required to pay 1156 in place of the
previous fee of 1005;
Sponsor Licence applications will
remain the same as the previous year.
For the full list of fee changes for 2016/2017

see here.
Background
The Government recently confirmed a
maximum amount UKVI can charge over the
next four-year period for immigration and
nationality applications. This has been done
by establishing maximum levels for fees that
are vastly above the fees currently in
operation. This could lead to significant future
cost increases for business and migrants.
Action Items
Ensure global mobility planning takes
into account the new visa and
immigration fees.
UNITED KINGDOM Points

Based Calculator to be
Discontinued
From 6 April 2016 the Points Based Calculator
will no longer be an eligible source to support
immigration applications and will be removed
from service entirely on 10 April 2016.
What is the Points Based

Calculator?
Currently, the calculator is used to assist
applicants for UK visas using the Points Based
System to determine whether they may be
eligible to work or study in the UK.
The Points Based System includes Tier 1, 2, 4
and 5 applications, as well as applications for
indefinite leave to remain and naturalisation
as a British Citizen.
The calculator also helps to assess whether an
overseas academic qualification meets the
academic or English language requirements
for these visa categories.
What has Changed?

Due to various changes in the immigration
rules and application procedures in recent
years, the Points Based Calculator has become
significantly harder to maintain and is no
longer considered a cost-effective tool for the
Home Office. As such, it will shortly be
discontinued altogether.
Applicants needing to demonstrate that their
overseas qualifications meet the English

language requirements on or after 6 April

2016 will need to obtain a new official
statement from UK NARIC (National
Recognition Information Centre).
UK NARIC is an agency which specialises in
providing advice on international vocational,
academic and professional qualifications.
Any costs for an English language statement
are not part of the government visa fee and
will need to be paid directly to UK NARIC for
the qualification equivalency services.
Action Items
On or after 6 April 2016, applicants for
visas via the UK Points Based System
needing to determine whether an
overseas academic qualification
meets the English language
requirements must obtain a new
official statement from UK NARIC.
UNITED KINGDOM
Changes to the Immigration
Rules from April 2016
On 11 March 2016 the UK Home Office issued
a Statement of Changes to the Immigration
Rules, which are due to take effect from 6
April 2016.
However, these rule changes do not include
any reforms resulting from the Migration
Advisory Committee (MAC)s recent reviews
of Tier 1 (Entrepreneur), Tier 1 (Graduate
Entrepreneur) or Tier 2 visas. The
Government has not yet published its
response to those reports.
What are the Major Changes?

Below are the major changes announced in
the Statement of Changes:
The maintenance requirements for

students applying for leave to remain
as a student union sabbatical officer,
a dentist on a foundation programme
or a postgraduate doctor have been
reduced;
Tier 4 (General) students at
independent schools can now extend
their stay from within the UK;
Overseas domestic workers will now
be allowed to take alternative
employment as a domestic worker
during their 6 month period of
admission;
The period of leave granted to an
overseas domestic worker, who is the
victim of slavery or human trafficking,
has been increased from 6 months to
2 years;
The maintenance requirements for
Tier 5 (Temporary Workers) are
amended to clarify that if a sponsor
certifies maintenance, then that
sponsor is confirming the applicant
will not claim public funds during their
stay;
The threshold at which cumulative
debts to the NHS constitute a general
ground of refusal is lowered from
1000 to 500
Applications can now be refused if a
litigation debt is owed to the Home
Office;
The points based calculator will no
longer exist after 5th April 2016,
replaced by UK NARIC Visas And
Nationality See our previous alert;
Masters degrees and PhDs taught in
English may be used to satisfy the
English language requirement for
Representatives of Overseas
Businesses;
With regard to applications made
under the Family and Private Life

provision, the UK immigration

authorities will have a power to
refuse an application on grounds of
suitability if false representations
have been submitted, or there has
been a failure to disclose materials
facts, in a previous immigration
application
Action Items
Note the above changes.
UNITED KINGDOM
Government Announces
Changes to Tier 2
On 23 March 2016 the government
announced changes to the Tier 2 work
authorisation category in response to two
reviews undertaken last year by the Migration
Advisory Committee (MAC).
The main changes will come into effect in two
stages (autumn 2016 and April 2017).
What are the Main Changes?

Below are the major changes to Tier 2:
Tier 2 General
Tier 2 (General) salary thresholds for
experienced workers will be increased
to 25,000 in autumn 2016, and
30,000 in April 2017. Some health
and education professionals will be
exempt from the higher threshold
until July 2019. The minimum
threshold for new entrants will
remain at 20,800;
Nurses will remain on the Shortage
Occupation List, but sponsors will
need to carry out a Resident Labour
Market Test (RLMT) before recruiting

a non-EEA nurse;
Overseas graduates will be given extra
weight in the Tier 2 General monthly
allocation panel reviews
Graduates will be able to switch roles
within a company once they have
secured a permanent job.
Tier 2 Intra-company Transfer
All intra-company transferees will be
required to qualify under a single visa
category with a minimum salary
threshold of 41,500, from April 2017;
An exception to the above applies to
the Graduate Trainee category, where
the salary threshold will be reduced
from 24,800 to 23,000. The number
of trainees that an employer may
bring to the UK will increase from five
to twenty;
There will be a transitional period
until April 2017 to allow those
affected to plan for the changes;
In autumn 2016, the Skills Transfer
category will be closed to new
applicants;
Also in autumn 2016, the minimum
salary threshold for the Tier 2 ICT
Short Term category will be increased
to 30,000. From April 2017, the Tier
2 ICT Short Term category will be
closed to new applications;
From April 2017, the minimum salary
threshold for intra-company
transferees working in the UK for
between five and nine years will be
lowered from 155,300 to 120,000.
The requirement for applicants to
have one years experience where
they are being paid over 73,900 will
be removed.

Other Changes
An Immigration Skills Charge will be
levied on Tier 2 employers at a rate of
1000 per Certificate of Sponsorship
per year from April 2017. Smaller
businesses and charities will be
charged a lower amount of 364.
There will be an exemption for PhD
occupations, Tier 2 (Intra-Company
Transfer) Graduate Trainees and Tier
4 students switching to Tier 2;
No Change
There will be no change to the work
rights of dependents of Tier 2
migrants;
Tier 4 students switching to a Tier 2
visa will not be subject to a limit on
numbers and their sponsor will not
have to carry out a RLMT.
Action Items
Employers should prepare for the
forthcoming changes to Tier 2 starting
in autumn 2016.
500 baht per day of overstay, up to a

maximum of 20,000 baht.
A foreign national who has overstayed their
visa but does not leave the country before 20
March 2016 will be liable for the same fine
but also banned from entering Thailand as
detailed below:
Those who overstay more than 90
days will be banned from re-entering
the country for one year;
Those who overstay more than one
year but less than three years will be
banned form re-entering Thailand for
three years;
Those who overstay more than three
years but less than five years will be
banned from re-entering Thailand for
five years;
Those who overstay more than five
years will be banned form re-entering
Thailand for ten years.
There are even harsher re-entry bans for
foreign nationals who overstay their visas and
do not surrender but are caught by the
authorities.
Action Items
THAILAND New Measures

to Counter Visa Overstay
Effective 20 March 2016, new stricter
regulations introduced by the Interior
Ministry will punish visa holders more harshly
than previously for overstaying their visa.
New Penalties
A foreign national who has already overstayed
their visa but surrenders to the authorities at
an immigration checkpoint and leaves the
country before 20 March 2016 will be fined
Visa holders in Thailand must be sure

to leave Thailand before the last
permitted date of their visa, to avoid
these new penalties.
NIGERIA Immediate
Nationwide Long Term
Work Permit Verification
Exercise Announced
On 14 March 2016 the Nigeria Immigration
Service (NIS) issued a public notice to the

effect that a nationwide verification exercise

will be conducted immediately, from 14
March 2016 till 31 March 2016, for Combined
Expatriate Resident Permit and Aliens Card
(CERPAC) holders in Nigeria.
Who is Affected?
This verification exercise affects employers of
CERPAC holders.
What Do Employers Need to Know?

Representatives of companies employing
foreign nationals should take the following
documents to their local NIS CERPAC
Production Centre:
Foreign nationals CERPACs;

Foreign nationals passports;
A copy of a valid Expatriate quota;
A copy of the companys monthly
returns for February 2016.
Foreign national employees are not required

to appear in person.
Action Items
Employers of CERPAC holders should
promptly make arrangements to
verify the CERPACs of their
employees.
However, the Peruvian authorities need to

demonstrate that they issue only biometric
passports by 31 July 2016, otherwise the
agreement will be cancelled.
What is the Visa Waiver

Agreement?
The new visa regime allows nationals of EU
Schengen Area countries to stay in Peru, and
Peruvian nationals to stay in EU Schengen
Area countries, for up to 90 days in a 180-day
period.
Visa-free travel applies to all categories of
persons and for any kind of purposes of travel
(for instance tourism, cultural visits, scientific
activities, family visits, business etc.), except
to persons travelling for the purpose of
carrying out a paid activity.
What is the Schengen Area?

The Schengen Area consists of 22 EU Member
States and four non-EU Member States:
Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and
Switzerland.
The non-EU Schengen countries are expected
to sign separate equivalent visa waiver
agreements in each case. Bulgaria, Croatia,
Cyprus and Romania are not yet part of the
Schengen Area, but nonetheless have a visa
policy that is based on the Schengen area.
PERU EU Signs Visa

Waiver Agreement
The visa waiver agreements do not apply to

the United Kingdom and Ireland which have
opted out of the Schengen area.
On 14 March 2016, the European Union (EU)

signed a short-stay visa-waiver agreement
with Peru on behalf of its Schengen Area
Member States, allowing Peruvians to enter
any Schengen Area country visa-free.
Action Items
The agreement will apply on a provisional

basis from 15 March 2016, until it is approved
by the European Parliament.
Note that nationals of Peru can travel

to the EU countries in the Schengen
Area for tourism or business for up to
90 days in any 180-day period without
a visa.

BRAZIL New Visa

Application Website
Launched
On 29 February 2016, the Brazilian Foreign
Ministry (MRE) launched a new website for
completing the visa application form for any
category of Brazilian visa.
Compared to the previous system, the new
visa application form website has more steps
and additional questions and requires certain
documents to be uploaded.
How Does It Work?

The visa application form must be completed
online here and supporting documents, digital
photograph and signature uploaded as
required for the specific visa type.
Note that opening the above-linked new visa
application form website may trigger an
"untrusted connection" message. This is
because the security certificate that was
issued for the site is not yet recognized by
some browsers. This issue should eventually
resolve itself.
A delivery receipt for the application form
must be printed and submitted (with the
applicants photograph attached) along with
the required supporting documents, at the
visa application appointment at the
corresponding Brazilian Consulate.
Action Items
Ensure that all Brazilian visa
application forms are completed using
the new visa application form
website, and that all required
supporting documents are uploaded
correctly, to avoid visa processing

delays.
SOUTH KOREA
Tuberculosis Test Required
for Certain Long-Term Visa
Applicants
Effective 2 March 2016, certain applicants for
long-term consular visas or post-arrival
change of status or visa extension, who are
nationals of eighteen high TB-burden
countries, must submit a "Certificate of
Health", including a tuberculosis test result.
Who is Affected?
The new requirement affects nationals of the
eighteen high TB-burden countries who are
applying for either
a long-term visa (more than 90 days)
at a South Korean diplomatic mission
while resident in any of the same
countries, or
a change of status or extension of stay
post arrival in South Korea.
The countries affected are: Nepal, East Timor,
Russia, Malaysia, Mongol, Myanmar,
Bangladesh, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan,
India, Indonesia, China, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan,
Thailand, Pakistan, Philippines.
Exemptions
Diplomats, foreign government officials,
international agreement status holders and
children aged 5 years and under are exempt
from providing this tuberculosis test result.
Consular Applications
For long-term visa applications at a South
Korean diplomatic mission, nationals of high

TB-burden countries, resident in any of those

countries, must submit a certificate of health
including a TB test result, valid for one year,
issued by a hospital designated by the
relevant Korean diplomatic mission.
The test must include the results of at least
one of the following TB tests: chest X-ray,
sputum test, tuberculin skin test, blood test or
equivalent.
Long-term visas for South Korea include the E7 for local hire, the D-7 for intra-company
transfer, the D-8 for inter-company transfer,
the D-9 (Treaty Trader) visa for service
contracts and the F-3 visa for dependent
family members of work visa holders.
Post Arrival Applications

For change of status or extension of stay
applications post arrival in South Korea,
nationals of high TB-burden countries must
submit a certificate of confirmation issued by
a Korean public health centre.
Action Items
Ensure that nationals of the listed
countries obtain a tuberculosis test
certificate, if required, for consular
long-term visa applications and postarrival extension of stay or change of
status applications.
GREECE Changes to
Translation Services at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Translation Service of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs has stopped offering
translation services into and out of Finnish,
Swedish, Slovenian, Chinese and Japanese.
What Does This Mean in Practice?

If translation from or into one of the
above languages is required, it will
now be necessary to use an
accredited translator officially
recommended by the relevant
consulate;
Translations via independent
translators are more expensive than
via the Translation Service of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
Receipt of translation costs is always
requested as proof that the
translation has been completed by an
accredited translator.
Action Items
For translations from and into Finnish,
Swedish, Slovenian, Chinese and
Japanese, ensure that documents are
translated by an accredited translator.
Bear in mind that the timing and the
cost of translations from and into
these five languages may differ from
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Translation Service.
GHANA Visa on Arrival

Planned for Nationals of
African Union States
On 25 February 2016, the Government of
Ghana announced that it intends to allow
citizens of African Union member states to
enter the country without a prior visa, and
obtain a visa on arrival for up to thirty days,
beginning in July 2016.

What does this mean?

Once the new African Union visa on arrival
program is implemented, a national of any
African Union member state can visit Ghana
from their country of origin or residence
without a visa.
This will remove the need for consular visa
processing. However, on arrival at the port of
entry, an entry permit allowing a stay of up to
thirty days will be issued at the discretion of
the Immigration Officer on duty.
Background
The African Union (AU), founded in 2001,
consists of 54 countries in Africa. The only
African state that is not a member is Morocco.
Presently, only nationals of the fifteen
countries of the Economic Community of
West African States (ECOWAS) are visa
exempt for travel to Ghana.
MORE FROM PEREGRINE

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www.peregrine.im/news.
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For more information about Immiguru,
Immigo and our other services, please visit
www.peregrine.im.
For any enquiries please contact
info@peregrine.im or +44 (0)20 7993 6860.
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 2015 Peregrine
Immigration Management Ltd.
Action Points
Once this visa on arrival is
implemented, African Union member
state nationals should benefit from
easier travel to Ghana for business
and tourism.


Peregrine News March 2016

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March 2016

Oman Employment Visa;

peregrine: GLOBAL IMMIGRATION MADE SIMPLE

peregrine: GLOBAL IMMIGRATION MADE SIMPLE

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