Global Immigration News
December 2009
UK
Entertainer visitor visa
The UK Border Agency (“UKBA”) has announced that they are now accepting applications for arts festivals under the permit free list. Entertainers and their support staff may gain entry to the UK on an entertainment visitor visa for major arts festivals. The Entertainer Visitor Visa is also useful, for example, if you wish to take part in music competitions, as an amateur entertainer or as part of an amateur group.
Fingerprint checks
With effect from Monday 30 November 2009, the UKBA will be introducing fingerprint checks at the border for entrants with biometric UK visas, entry clearances and identity cards for foreign nationals (ICFNs). This is being introduced incrementally and will be operational in all ports across the UK by March 2010. The checks will entail the scanning of the entrants’ fingerprints at border control which, in the majority of cases, will be scans of just their right hand thumb and first finger. The fingerprints taken will then be checked against those taken in the visa or ID card application process so as to verify that it is the same person.
Poland
Residency cards
Following a conversation with the Krakow immigration office, we understand that issuance of Residence Cards is on hold until January 2010 due to a lack of the material needed to print the cards. This situation may impact foreigners from visa countries who had been expecting to receive their cards in December and who planned to travel outside of Poland for holiday season. The residence card is a document which confirms the identity of the holder and entitles the foreigner (visa national) to cross the border without a visa requirement. This card must be used together with the passport or travel ID.
The Netherlands
2010 Minimum Salary Index for Skilled Migrant Workers (“Kennismigranten”)
The Dutch Immigration Department (“IND”) has announced its 2010 salary thresholds for processing applications for residence permits for Highly Skilled Migrant Workers (“Kennismigranten”). Changes to the 2010 minimum salary requirements for the three categories under the Highly Skilled Migrant Workers residence permit (KMP) are:
- Annual base salaries for highly-skilled foreign workers under the age of 30 will be raised from €35,997 to €36,801.
- Annual base salaries for highly-skilled foreign workers aged 30 or older will be raised from €49,087 to €50,183.
- Annual base salaries for foreign students who graduated with degrees in the Netherlands and who are hired as highly-skilled foreign workers will be raised from €25,800 to €26,376.
Evidence of the applicable salary must be submitted with applications. Satisfactory documents include:
- A signed Dutch payroll employment agreement.
- A signed company statement by the seconding foreign parent company; the employee to be transferred must remain on the home-country payroll.