Latest updates in global immigration

7 June 2023

This week, the Global Immigration team at Smith Stone Walters would like to highlight the following recent updates from Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Spain and Sweden.

Australia and the United Kingdom have agreed to establish more generous arrangements under the Working Holiday Maker program and Youth Mobility Scheme. This follows the entry into force of the Australia/UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

The principal changes are as follows:

UK passport holders can choose to apply for a first, second and third Working Holiday visa at any time while they still meet the eligible age requirement. They do not need to stay in Australia for three years in a row. Applicants can lodge applications for second and third Working Holiday (subclass 417) visas in or outside Australia.

If a UK passport holder has already spent one or two years in Australia on a Working Holiday (subclass 417) visa before the new arrangements commence, they can apply for the remaining visa(s) under the new arrangements from 1 July 2024, avoiding the ‘specified work’ requirement.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced the first ever category-based selection for Express Entry. Invitations to apply will be issued to prospective permanent residents with specific skills, training or language ability.

This year, category-based selection invitations will focus on candidates who have the following skills or experience:

The categories have been determined following consultations with provincial and territorial partners, stakeholders and the public, as well as a review of labour market needs. A complete list of eligible jobs for the new categories is available here.

The first category-based invitations to apply are expected to be sent this summer.

Express Entry is Canada's flagship application management system for those seeking to immigrate permanently through the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, the Canadian Experience Class and a portion of the Provincial Nominee Program.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced new measures to facilitate family reunion. These measures include:

The government has announced the signing of a Canada-South Korea Youth Mobility Agreement. The agreement is expected to come into force in 2024, after it is ratified by both countries.

This new agreement extends the ways in which Canadian and Finnish youth can work and travel in each other's country under International Experience Canada (IEC) or the Korean equivalent.

The new arrangement features a number of improvements over the existing memorandum of understanding signed in 1995:

International Experience Canada (IEC) is a reciprocal program that allows Canadian and international youth to work and travel in each other's countries. The program has three categories:

For the 2023 season, Canada is extending this opportunity to come to Canada through IEC to nearly 90,000 international youth. This expansion will help Canadian employers find the workers they need to fill labour shortages across the country.

Effective 19 June 2023, the Immigration Department will adjust application requirements for visas and entry permits for dependents, foreign domestic workers, imported workers, students and those wishing to enter Hong Kong for a working holiday.

Applicants in these categories will be required to declare whether they have any criminal convictions.

The department will process applications received by 18 June 2023 with or without a criminal conviction declaration.

This change does not apply to extension applications. In addition, foreign domestic helpers currently working in Hong Kong applying for contract renewal with the same employer or for completing the remaining/extended period of the current contract with the same employer or for change of employer in Hong Kong are not affected by this adjustment.

On 10 May 2023, the Spanish government passed amendments (Law 11/2023) to Law 14/2013 that implement the revised EU Blue Card Directive (EU 2021/1883). The changes, which took effect on 29 May 2023, also affect Spain's national residence permit for highly qualified professionals.

The principal changes are as follows:

Other EU Member States which have recently proposed or implemented amendments to their immigration rules to transpose the revised EU Blue Card Directive include Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Slovakia and Sweden.

The Swedish government has published a report proposing new requirements for permanent residence permits.

The report proposes that new language and knowledge requirements for a permanent residence permit should apply to individuals who are over 18 years of age (with some exceptions for age) from 1 July 2027.

The report proposes a two-part online test. One part would test Swedish language listening skills at A2 level according to the Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR). The other part would test basic knowledge needed to live and work in Swedish society, written in Swedish at CEFR A2 level. The tests would cost SEK 700 each (SEK 1400 in total).

Separately, the Swedish government has also published a memorandum proposing that, to be granted a work permit, an applicant must have a wage equivalent to at least 80% of the median wage in Sweden. This currently amounts to SEK 26,560 per month. It is proposed that this amendment to the immigration rules enter into force on 1 October 2023.

If you need support with any aspect of global immigration, Smith Stone Walters is here to help.

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