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The Schengen Area is comprised of 26 countries that have agreed to allow free movement of
their citizens within this area as a single country.
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Austria
• Belgium
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Italy
• Latvia
Although most of the
Schengen countries are in
the European Union, you
should not confuse the
Schengen area with the
EU.
26 COUNTRIES
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A Schengen Visa permits the
holder to stay within the
Schengen countries for up to
90 days in any period of 180
days for tourist or business
purposes.
Once you get a Schengen
Visa, you can enter one
country and travel freely
anywhere within the
Schengen territory.
As a result of the on-going migration
crisis and the terrorist attacks which
took place in Paris in 2015, some
Schengen member states have
temporarily reintroduced controls on
some or all of their borders with other
Schengen states
For the latest information,
it is advisable to research
the up-to-the-minute rules
regarding Temporary
Reintroduction
SCHENGEN VISA
SCHENGEN
TERRITORY
TEMPORARY CONTROLS TEMPORARY
REINTRODUCTION
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SCHENGEN VISAS: UNDERSTAND COUNTRY-SPECIFIC COMPLIANCE
It is important to know and comply with the country-specific guidelines for the Schengen Visa.
For example, in Germany, Schengen Visa activities are restricted to:
Tourism
CEO /CFO duties for German-based companies
Intra-Company trainings (not at customer site!)
Contract negotiations
Supervision of contract deliveries (not the delivery in itself)
Deconstruction of machinery bought from German vendor
Construction of plants / machinery sold to German customer
Establishment of a German subsidiary
NOT ALLOWED on a
Schengen Visa in
Germany: Knowledge
transfer, software service
delivery
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UNITED KINGDOM: MAC ANNOUNCES REFORM
In March 2016, MAC
issued preliminary
response to
comprehensive review of
Tier 2 (General) and Tier
2 (ICT).
Implementation of
changes will be rolled out
in two phases (November
24, 2016 and April 2017)
These reforms specifically
aim to reduce economic
migration from outside of
Europe and to ensure that
skilled work visas are
limited to skills shortages
and highly specialist
experts.
The primary impact is
that of cost to
employers.
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UNITED KINGDOM: IMPACY TO TIER 2: GENERAL
CATEGORY
Minimum salary threshold for experienced
workers will be increased in two phases:
• £25,000 on November 24, 2016
• £30,000 in April 2017
• Some health and education professionals
(ie, nurses, paramedics) will be exempt
from this increase until July 2019.
The Tier 2 (General) annual
limit of 20,700 for Restricted
Certificates of Sponsorship will
remain.
An immigration skills charge will
be introduced beginning in April
2017 and will require Tier 2
employers to pay a fee of
£1,000 per Certificate of
Sponsorship per year.
The government will not be implementing
changes recommended by the MAC for Tier 4
students switching to Tier 2, and employers
will be able to recruit students without being
subject to the annual cap on Tier 2 (General)
and without a Resident Labor Market Test.
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UNITED KINGDOM: IMPACT TO TIER 2: ICT
CATEGORY
Tier 2 (ICT – Graduate Trainees)
Minimum salary will be reduced from
£24,000 to £23,000 and employers
may sponsor up to 20 (previously was
5)
Tier 2 (ICT – Short Term Staff)
Will close to new applications in April
2017. The transitional period until April
2017 will allow employers to plan for
these upcoming changes.
Tier 2 (ICT – Skills Transfer)
Will close to new applications in
November 2016. Minimum salary
threshold will be increased to £30,000.
Provisions will be amended to provide
a route for senior managers and
specialists
AMENDED PROVISIONS
ICT SUB-CATEGORIES
The current ICT sub-categories will be
simplified by requiring all ICT migrants
to qualify under a single visa category,
with a minimum salary threshold of
£41,500.
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UNITED KINGDOM: IMPACT TO TIER 2: ICT
CATEGORY
£155,300
April 2017, the minimum
salary threshold for intra-
company transferees working
between five and nine years
in the UK will be lowered
from
£120,000
to
The one year experience
requirement will be
eliminated for applicants
who are paid over
£73,900
All intra-company
transferees will be required
to pay the Immigration
Health Surcharge beginning
in the fall of 2016.
£1,000
(person/ year)
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UNITED KINGDOM: COMPLIANCE
IMMIGRATION ACT 2016
MISUSE CONSTITUTES A
CRIMINAL OFFENSE
• People who work on a visitor’s visa;
• People doing work that is not listed on their
visa;
• Leave to enter or remain in the United
Kingdom has not been granted; and
• Leave to enter or remain in the United
Kingdom has terminated.
UK PENALTIES
• Six months imprisonment and/or
• An unlimited fine in England
PENALTIES IN SCOTLAND
AND IRELAND
• Imprisonment of six months and/or
• A fine of the statutory maximum.
• The employees’ wages can be seized as well,
(considered to be proceeds of crime).
Foreign National must have the
right to work in the UK.
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UNITED KINGDOM:
BREXIT
Negotiations on the
terms of the UK’s exit
might take up to
2years
Until any withdrawal agreement is
implemented, the legal situation of
EU nationals currently living and
working in the UK, and UK
nationals resident in other EU
countries, will not have legally
changed.
Any decision to leave and
subsequent negotiations are likely
to fundamentally change the UK
immigration landscape, since the
EU principle of freedom of
movement of people would no
longer apply to the UK.
WITHDRAWAL AGREEMENT CHANGE IN NEGOTIATIONS
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UNITED KINGDOM: BREXIT IMMIGRATION
CONSIDERATION
PR confirms that the foreign
national has indefinite leave to
remain in the UK
It would be very difficult for the
UK to go back on this status
when the UK exits the EU
Employees should consider
applying for Permanent
Residence, if they have lived
and worked in the UK for
5years
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GERMANY: IMMIGRATION TRENDS
Until any withdrawal agreement is
implemented, the legal situation of
EU nationals currently living and
working in the UK, and UK
nationals resident in other EU
countries, will not have legally
changed.
years
Due to a strong economy and
its over-aging workforce
demographic, Germany tries
to attract qualified migration.
Either academic degrees or
vocational qualifications may migrate
to Germany provided they have a
job offer from a German-based
employer. Dependents are allowed
to work.
The influx of refugees has
created delays in processing
times.
Potential changes on business
immigration law are on hold.
(ie, ICT Directive)
While Germany, in general, is still a very welcoming country for
migrants, certain parts of the political landscape shift towards
more restrictions and better controls. We expect a trend
towards more checks / verifications of employment permits in
the future.
MIGRATION CRISIS
INCREASED VERIFICATION
QUALIFIED
EMPLOYEES
POTENTIAL
CHANGES
QUALIFIED
MIGRATION
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GERMANY: IMPROVEMENTS FOR VISA
APPLICATIONS
Principal visa applicants, and their dependents, who were previously in
Germany under long-term stays, can now enter Germany solely upon consular
approval.
If the German local authorities do not give a denial notification within ten days of
the submission of the application, the consular post will assume the local
authorities’ consent.
Dependents who have submitted their visa applications along with the principal
applicant, and who have not previously resided in Germany, should experience
reduced processing times of two to three weeks. (Family reunification previously
took months for processing)
The changes have driven down processing times significantly and made
the following improvements:
To simplify visa
applications, the Federal
Government amended the
visa application procedures
for employment and family
reunion entry visas.
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GERMANY: IMMIGRATION OPTIONS FOR IT SECTOR: EU
BLUECARD
May be obtained by Non-EU nationals who are offered local employment by a German company.
University degree
comparable to
German standards
Minimum annual
salary of EUR 49,600
(2016)
Local employment with
an employer in
Germany for min. 1 year
Can work in Germany
only with this
VISA REQUIREMENTS
For certain shortage
occupations, of which some
professionals within Information
Technology qualify, the salary
threshold is reduced to
EUR 38,688(2016)
This offers an incredible
advantage for IT sector
firms and their employees.
The EU Blue Card is the only German
immigration permit that allows a person to
be leased out to a third party.
• This is of special value to the IT
industry that often provides
services to their customers on a
contractual basis.
• In Germany, this may be regarded
as labor lease, which is subject to
strong government regulations
however, with the EU Blue Card,
this can be avoided
• The EU Blue Card is portable after
2 years of Blue Card being issued.
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GERMANY: IMMIGRATION OPTIONS FOR IT SECTOR: SOFTWARE INSTALLATION
VISA
This option can be used when the project in Germany involves software and information technology.
VISA
QUALIFICATIONS
The software must be
individually programmed for
the customer (not using
modules or an off the shelf
product);
It cannot be an extension or
upgrade to an existing
system; and It must be for a
stand-alone application.
If criteria is met, assignee
can travel to Germany
without meeting traditional
1 year tenure
requirements.
This permit type is often
misused and to avoid
penalty, all the mentioned
criteria must be met.
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GERMANY: COMPLIANCE
REMINDERS
Differentiate between business travel and
employment / work. If in doubt, ask a
lawyer. Do not trust oral communication
from the authorities!
Misuse of Schengen visa for work is a
criminal offence. Also results in up to 5 year
blacklisting.
Information on salary that is provided to
authorities must be correct. Inform
authorities about changes..
Keep application documentation and visa /
permits on file.
Permits become invalid if employee spends
> 180 days outside Germany.
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FRANCE: IMMIGRATION UPDATES
October 28, 2016: A decree was issued enforcing that a short term (<3 months) work
permit will no longer be required for the following categories:
Employee on a Local Contract in France in:
• Sports, cultural, artistic and scientific events
• Professional conferences, seminars and workshops
• Film, audio-visual, entertainment and Phonographic publishing production and distribution, if the employee is an artist or
technical personnel that is directly part of the production or project
• Modelling
• Personal services and domestic workers during the assignment in France of their private employers
• Education given occasionally by visiting professors
Employee on Detachment:
• Assignments for audits, and
• Experts in IT, management, finance, insurance, architecture and engineering
• There is no indication yet of what information will be required for nationals requiring a short term Schengen Visa
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FRANCE: IMMIGRATION UPDATES
The new “Talent Passport” will impact highly skilled foreign nationals, entitling the
holder to a new classification of residence permit valid for four (4) years.
The following will fall under the Talent passport category:
• Change of status for students holding a Master degree from
France
• European Blue card
• ICT “salarié en mission” with a local employment contract in
France
• Scientists/Researchers
• Applicants holding a Master degree who wish to open a
business in France
• Foreign nationals who present a project in innovation that has
been recognized by an official administration
• Foreign nationals who invest directly in France
• Artists
• Talent Passport permits will be
processed at the French consulates.
• All applications that have been filed
prior to November 1st will be
processed in the previous manner
• Delays expected in adjudication until
the visa services are operational and
the new forms are introduced
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FRANCE: IMMIGRATION
UPDATESThree separate permit categories will exist for ICT Employees on Detachment status:
ICT Employee on
Detachment – issued for an
employee who is on an
assignment in a senior
management position or to
provide expertise, to a
company in France that is
part of the same group as the
home country employer.
ICT Trainee – issued when
there is an approved training
agreement within the
framework of an internship
with an institution or
company of the same group
as the home country
employer.
Mobile ICT Employee on
Detachment or Mobile ICT
Trainee – issued if the
foreign national already holds
a residence permit issued by
another EU country under the
category ICT employee or
ICT trainee.
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FRANCE: IMMIGRATION UPDATES (CONT.)
ICT Employees on Detachment status updates:
ICT Employees on
Detachment permits will
be processed at the
French consulates.
All applications that were
filed prior to November 1,
2016 will be processed as
it was in the past.
Delays expected in
adjudication until the visa
services are operational
and the new forms are
introduced.
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FRANCE:
COMPLIANCE
Employers sending or
hosting foreign workers in
France are subject to
increasing inspections by
labor authorities.
A new decree requires that sending
companies appoint a legal representative in
France to act as a liaison with the Labour
Inspectorate. The legal representative must
have access to documents pertaining to the
applicant’s employment and the French
assignment, and to send the host company in
France certain documents prior to the start of
the assignment.
Failure to comply with the
new requirements could
result in fines for both the
employer abroad and the
host company in France.
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FRANCE:
COMPLIANCE
• The sending company must designate a legal representative in France
who will be the liaison between the labour inspectorate and the
employer abroad. The legal representative must have access to the
following documents:
• The employee’s French work permit, immigration medical
certificate, payslips, proof of salary payment and timesheet;
• Evidence of the employer’s business activity abroad and in France,
and social security compliance;
• The employment contract of the employee and, if applicable, the
service agreement between the employer and the host company in
France; and
• A copy of the letter designating the legal representative.
This affects employers transferring their
employees to France in both the salarié
en mission detaché (intra-company
transfer with home payroll) and the
salarié detaché hors mobilité
intragroupe (service provider with home
payroll) categories.
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FRANCE:
COMPLIANCE
The host company in France must now ensure that it has access to the following
documents before the assignment starts:
The prior detachment
declaration filed with the
labour inspectorate that
has jurisdiction for the
place of work
A copy of the letter
designating the legal
representative
A copy of the French work
permit, which needs to be
added to the personnel register.
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ICT DIRECTIVE FOR EUROPEAN
COMPETITIVENESSThis directive is aimed at
improving European access to
needed global talent which will
promote EU competitiveness and
economic growth.
.
Meant to facilitate intra-EU mobility for
ICTs, eliminating country-by-country
applications and substituting instead
common EU rules designed to save
time and trouble for applicants.
According to the Commission
15,000 to 20,000 intra-corporate
transferees will be admitted
annually in the framework of this
directive.
The recent tumultuous political
environment throughout Europe, and
the on-going refugee crisis, have
resulted in heavy scrutiny and
postponement of this.
Not only will the EU gain "new skills and knowledge, innovation
and enhanced economic opportunities for the host entities", but
multinational companies within Europe should find great relief in
the additional immigration flexibility brought forth by the
directive.
EUROPEAN ACCESS
HEAVY SCRUTINYANNUAL ADMITTANCE
INTRA-EU MOBILITY
IMMIGRATION
FLEXIBILITY
2016 brought about a significant amount of reform to immigration in the UK. The UK has a lot of foreign workers, many of whom are in the IT industry. The reforms are meant to slow down that influx of foreign workers and to promote jobs for UK nationals.
The government’s overarching goal is to support growth and productivity in the national economy by:
protecting job opportunities for UK residents;
reducing UK businesses’ reliance on foreign workers; and
preventing businesses from using foreign workers to lower wages.
However, these reforms are also intended to constrain migration primarily by raising costs to employers and foreign workers.
In light of the recently announced changes by the Home Office, employers will need to undertake a full review of their recruitment practices in order to determine whether employing a non-EEA national worker is cost beneficial.
UK Immigration now has the highest visa fees in the World. The increase in cost, and inevitable decrease in the numbers of skilled migrants coming into the UK, is likely to affect the attractiveness of the UK as a place for inward investment.
Reforms to Tier 2 skilled worker categories resulted from the recommendations of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC).
The salary threshold for new Tier 2 General hires will increase to £25,000 (this will not apply to any workers sponsored before 24 November 2016 who apply to extend their Tier 2 General visa)
The short term visa category has been a preferred visa option for a number of employers and clients alike. This is because it enables employees to undertake training for a period of six months under the skills transfer visa. In addition to this, it enables employers to send employees to the UK for a short period before determining whether the employees’ services are required long term. We believe that most of the employers to be affected by the closure of this route are those in the information technology (IT) sector. This is because most employees are required to come to the UK to work on short projects which is in line with the contracts signed between the parties. Employers will therefore need to review their recruitment practices in readiness for these changes. One option may even require taking the work offshore which will have a negative impact on the UK economy as a whole.
Fortunately, the changes announced by the Home Office are not all doom and gloom as there were a number of positive changes. The reduction of the ‘high earners’ salary threshold for the long-term staff sub-category of Tier 2 (ICT) from £155,300 to £120,000 from April 2017 will be a welcome development. This means that once an employee earns in excess of £120,000 they can remain in the UK for up to nine years.
In addition to this, the removal of the requirement for those in the long-term staff sub-category to have 12 months’ employment with the overseas entity before they are eligible for sponsorship where their salary is over £73,900, is also a welcome development.
£1,000 for a migrant each year is a significant amount which excludes other fees as discussed above. Once the fees are introduced the average fee for sponsoring an overseas worker will amount to £7,500 for a single applicant. In the event that an overseas worker has dependents this figure will be considerably higher.
One of the most welcome developments was the government’s decision not to implement one of its initial proposals (which the MAC recommended was not taken up) not to allow dependants to work. To have brought this in would have placed the UK at a clear disadvantage against other countries.
A new provision in the Immigration Act 2016 sets forth a penalty for workers and or employers that hire a foreign national illegally. The provision has taken effect July 12, and will not be employed retroactively. Employers should ensure that the foreign national employee has the right to work in the UK.
Employers that know or should have known that their employee does not have the right to work in the UK will now be subject to an imprisonment of five years, rather than the previous two, and receive an unlimited fine (also known as a ‘civil penalty’) for each illegal worker. The fine can reach € 20,000 for each illegal worker.
The Home Office released a report on how to accurately perform right to work checks for its employees. A migrant worker that has reason to believe his or her immigration status has changed, preventing them to work, but continues to do so, will have committed a criminal offense.
The result of the referendum has had an immediate and significant impact in some areas, particularly in the stock market and foreign exchange. Commentators are predicting large scale restructuring in particular sectors and some organisations are already taking steps to relocate staff. Increased market volatility is likely to reduce the value of assets in pension schemes. However, when it comes to the law itself, the pace of change is likely to be much slower. Until the UK formally leaves the EU there is no immediate need (or ability) to make any changes.
Restricting immigration was a fundamental driver of the Leave campaign. However, there will be no immediate impact of the vote as the free movement principle will continue to apply until the UK actually leaves the EU. Ultimately, transitional arrangements are likely to be introduced to protect people from the EU and Switzerland already living in the UK to assist them to acquire permanent residence.
Restricting immigration was a fundamental driver of the Leave campaign. However, there will be no immediate impact of the vote as the free movement principle will continue to apply until the UK actually leaves the EU. Ultimately, transitional arrangements are likely to be introduced to protect people from the EU and Switzerland already living in the UK to assist them to acquire permanent residence.
The government states that there is detailed monitoring on the type of accommodation and duration of stay to scrutinize violators.
To simplify visa applications the Federal Government amended the visa application procedures for employment and family reunion entry visas.
This will reduce the difference in processing times between the two visas.
The amendments eliminated an approval step that proved to be time-consuming for local immigration authorities.
As such, this amendment should significantly reduce processing times and allow for the following improvements:
Principal visa applicants and their dependents who were previously in Germany under long-term stays can now enter Germany solely upon consular approval.
If the local authorities do not give a denial notification within ten days of the submission of the application, the consular post will assume the local authorities’ consent.
Visa applications for qualified dependents who have submitted their applications along with the principal applicant and who have not previously resided in Germany, should experience reduced processing times of two to three weeks.
These amendments came into force on December 29, 2015 and should considerably reduce processing times for employment and family reunion entry visas.
The end of 2016 will usher in changes to French work and residence permits for foreign nationals, dependents and some employers. Under this new law, certain passport holders and some short-term assignees will no longer require permits.
The new law seeks to change the classification of several types of work and residence permits. The changes will seek to improve the French immigration system in terms of ease of use and strengthening the attractiveness of France to foreign talent. In addition, it will assist in bolstering regulations that combat illegal immigration.
The end of 2016 will usher in changes to French work and residence permits for foreign nationals, dependents and some employers. Under this new law, certain passport holders and some short-term assignees will no longer require permits.
The new law seeks to change the classification of several types of work and residence permits. The changes will seek to improve the French immigration system in terms of ease of use and strengthening the attractiveness of France to foreign talent. In addition, it will assist in bolstering regulations that combat illegal immigration.
Employers sending or hosting foreign workers in France are subject to increasing inspections by labor authorities. In an effort to enforce a decree passed in March of 2015 which requires employers to save extensive documentation of posted workers, French labor inspectors are performing unexpected inspections of companies to ensure compliance of labor laws.
Recent changes to French labour law for companies sending their employees to France on assignment, under detachment status (i.e. remaining on home payroll). These employers must appoint a legal representative in France who has access to documents pertaining to the applicant’s employment and the French assignment, and to send the host company in France certain documents prior to the start of the assignment. Failure to comply with the new requirements could result in fines for both the employer abroad and the host company in France.
The decree requires that sending companies appoint a legal representative in France to act as a liaison with the Labour Inspectorate. The company or legal representative must retain extensive documentation pertaining to posted workers and make it accessible during inspections. Such documentation includes work permits, employment and pay records, timesheets, medical certificates, proof of payment of wages, proof of compliance with social insurance laws and business records among other documents. Furthermore, French host companies must retain copies of work permits for non-EU nationals, detachment declaration and a document designating a legal representative for the company in France.
A proposed ICT directive is aimed at improving European access to needed global talent. Here are the basics:
1. Intra-Corporate Transferees are temporary; they are not immigrants
Businesses with operations in and out of the European Union send highly skilled staff to the EU for specific, time-limited tasks no one else can accomplish. Often ICTs must visit more than one EU country to complete their temporary assignments. Once finished, they return home or move on to projects outside the EU.
ICTs provide company, product, service and / or client specific skills that cannot be sourced locally in the EU. Examples include specialists who install technology, train customers, or help in their own companies; trainees sent temporarily to the EU to learn new skills that benefit their companies and home countries; and managers who open new units or teach other managers.
The Problem: Today’s rules require ICTs to obtain separate permits for each EU country, frustrating free movement and increasing costs. Member States all have their own requirements for permits and supporting documents. That has fostered such delay, confusion, and uncertainty in obtaining ICT permits that 40 percent of companies surveyed by the OECD said their projects were affected1. Their customers – that is, EU companies -- were the losers.
1
Crucial need: The European Commission declared that ICTs are those “whom the EU economy crucially needs”2. That need is keenly felt by customer firms in the EU. ICTs allow companies to fill pressing skills gaps at short notice, without providing a route to permanent immigration. In fact, by contributing to the available skills pool in the Member States, ICTs encourage important investment flows into the EU, aid in the drive of innovation, and ultimately help create employment locally.
2. ICT Directive: Simplified rules, increased European efficiency
Proposed Solution: The proposal is meant to facilitate intra-EU mobility for ICTs, eliminating laborious country-by-country applications and substituting instead common EU rules designed to save time and trouble for applicants. ICT permits would be issued faster and cost applicants less, increasing efficiencies and boosting the European economy.
Helping EU companies: Global companies deploy specialists around the world to help customers. Customers in Europe may be denied access to such specialists unless there is a fair and simple process to obtain ICT permits.
3. ICT directive is different from the Blue Card directives
Blue Card holders immigrate to gain permanent EU residence; ICTs do not immigrate but are posted temporarily to achieve pinpointed goals.
Small numbers: The International Migration Outlook in 2008 reported ICTs from selected countries represented only four percent of temporary labour migrants.3
ICTs are employees whose sophisticated, specialist skills are in high demand to help customers around the world. If intra-corporate transfer permits are readily obtainable in the EU, customer companies here will benefit. Otherwise some of these skills will be lost to Europe, going instead to customers in other regions.
In 2015, the Western Australian Government introduced a tuition fee for families on a 457 Visa (temporary skilled workers) whose children attend public schools in the Western Australian territory. In a similar step, beginning January 1, 2017, the South Australian Government plans to implement a tuition fee for families in Australia with a 457 Visa whose children attend public schools in in the South Australian territory. The tuition fee will extend to all subclass 457 Visa holders beginning January 1, 2018.
Families with dependent school aged children attending a government school will soon be obligated to pay an annual contributions. The annual contributions, beginning in January 2017 are:
Primary school – AUS$5,100 per student
High school – AUS$6,100 per student
A family that does not make a combined annual income of at least AUS$57,000 are exempt from paying the contribution fee. The full rate of the contribution fee goes into effect once a families combined annual income is equal or above to AUS$77,000. The combined annual income increases by AUS$10,000 for each additional child.
A waiver of the tuition fee contributions is available to families that experience hardship. The waivers are granted in exceptional circumstances but can help families that cannot afford the tuition fees.