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 HRSDC Changes Minimum Advertising RequirementsMay 15, 2013 Earlier this month, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) updated the minimum advertising requirements for NOC level ‘0’ (Executives/Managers) and ‘A’ (Professional) positions. These requirements must now be followed for eligible labour market opinions (LMOs). Changes to Canadian Foreign Skilled Workers Program Take Effect May 4th, 2013May 3, 2013 In April, the Canadian Federal Government announced changes to the Foreign Skilled Workers Program (FSW) which take effect May 4th, 2013. Among these changes include an updated eligibility list, new minimum language proficiency requirements, and a list of organizations designated to perform assessments of educational credentials. Harper Government Announces Reforms to Temporary Foreign Worker ProgramMay 1, 2013 Earlier this week, the Canadian government announced new restrictions for the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). Several of these changes are effective immediately, while more details are expected in the coming days. Visa Regulations in Flux in ChinaApril 17, 2013 Effective 1 July 2013, new regulations will be implemented for foreigners visiting, residing and working in China as a result of the new Exit-Entry Administration Law. Federal Budget Changes make Temporary Foreign Worker programs harder on employersApril 2, 2013 The Canadian federal government’s 2013 budget had outlined several reforms to the temporary foreign worker program, which are expected to come in the following months. Payroll Challenges Posed By International AssignmentsMarch 22, 2013 The Global Tax Network (GTN) has recently published an article regarding pay delivery. In general, there are three different delivery methods: home, host and split. In-Person Visit Now Required for Employment License Filings in Beijing, China.February 7, 2013 Effective February 1, 2013, a local HR representative of the Beijing sponsoring company will be required to be present at the Beijing Labor Bureau at the time of submission of an employment license application. US H-1B Cap Filing Season to begin April 1, 2013January 28, 2013 On Monday, April 1, 2013, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin to accept H-1B cap petitions for the FY 2014 annual quota of 85,000. UKBA Clarifies Rules for Tier 2 General and ICT CategoriesJanuary 14, 2013 Beginning December 13, 2012, the United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) will enforce new changes to Tier 2 applications as part of an effort to improve and clarify rules for Tiers 1 to 5. These changes include longer maximum stay for high earning ICTs, an increase in time Tier 2 visa holders can spend outside of the UK before applying for permanent residence and greater clarity regarding cooling off period prior to subsequent Tier 2 stays. Potential Processing Delays for Work Permit, Visa Applications Due to Government Holiday ClosuresDecember 14, 2012 Numerous government offices worldwide will be closed or work under reduced staff and/or hours of operation during the holiday season. This will likely result in processing delays o work permits, residence permits, and visas into the New Year. Shanghai Labor Bureau Eliminates Expedited Services for Work PermitsDecember 6, 2012 With immediate effect on 1 November 2012, the Shanghai Labor Bureau stopped the expedited service for Work Permit applications in Shanghai. Canada, India Sign Totalization AgreementNovember 21, 2012 Earlier this month, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, witnessed the signing of the Canada-India Social Security Agreement. Canadian Housing Resales Stable in 2013, Housing Starts ModeratingNovember 15, 2012 Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation announces that activity in existing home market expected to stabilize, causing house price growth to fall in line with or slightly below inflation. Belgium Begins Accepting EU Blue Card ApplicationsNovember 6, 2012 Introduced on September 10, Belgium is now accepting applications for its version of the EU Blue Card. CIC Announces Changes to Qualifications for Canadian Permanent Residence Application for Skilled WorkersNovember 1, 2012 Earlier in September, the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada had proposed legislative regulations for the following:
Portugal Introduces Blue CardSeptember 27, 2012 In a new law that was put into effect on September 9, 2012, Portugal has introduced its version of the EU Blue Card. CBP to Eliminate I-94 Card, to Be Replaced with Automated Arrival SystemSeptember 21, 2012 The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has accelerated a plan to stop issuing I-94 arrival-departure cards to non-immigrants entering the U.S. and replace it with an automated arrival system. Prime Properties See Strongest Growth since 2010, Looks to AsiaSeptember 11, 2012 Back in July, Knight Frank had released their Q2 Prime Global Cities Index, indicating that the world’s key urban centers had experienced its greatest growth since 2010, despite cooling measures that inhibited growth at the start of 2012. Italy Introduces EU Blue CardSeptember 5, 2012 After Germany had recently started issuing the EU Blue Card, Italy has now released its version of the Blue Card. China Introduces Stricter Enforcement Against Unlawful Entry, Stay and WorkAugust 30, 2012
As a reminder, new legislation in China was passed in June to introduce stiffer penalties against unlawful entry, stay and work. Temporary Accommodation Challenges in TorontoAugust 7, 2012 Yes, it is that time again – the Toronto International Film Festival will be running from September 6th to September 16th. As a result, temporary accommodation will be virtually unavailable in the Toronto area for the first two weeks of September. Given the high demand, the price for any available accommodation will escalate upwards making what is available out of the reach of most relocation programs and Transferees’ budgets.Rental Vacancy Rate Decreases in CanadaJuly 31, 2012 According to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) spring Rental Market Survey, the average rental vacancy rate in Canada’s 35 major centres decreased from 2.5% in April 2011 to 2.3% in April 2012. In the survey, several observations were made.Back to Basics: Making International Assignments EasierJuly 19, 2012 Global Tax Network (GTN) has released a list of ten (10) measures that firms’ HR departments should consider implementing to ease the pain associated with administering international assignments.Canadian Housing Market Expected to ModerateJuly 16, 2012 According to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) second quarter Canadian housing market outlook, both new and current housing markets are expected to moderate. Stampede Demand Limits Temp Accom Options and AffordabilityJune 29, 2012 Due to the 100th Anniversary of Calgary Stampede and the recent huge Petroleum Show, temporary accommodation is virtually unavailable in the Calgary area until after July 31st. Given the high demand, the price for any available accommodation has escalated upwards to $300 - $500 per night, which is unrealistic for most relocation programs and Transferees’ budgets. Further Measures Announced to Strengthen Canada’s Housing MarketJune 21, 2012 As announced by the Department of Finance the government has introduced four additional measures to strengthen Canada’s housing market. These measures apply to new government-backed insured mortgages with loan-to-value ratios of more than 80 per cent:
Making Sense of Recent Canadian Immigration ChangesJune 7, 2012 Making Sense of Recent Canadian Immigration Changes Christopher Garrah’s article Doing Business in Canada: Immigration provides great insight into four recent developments in Canadian business immigration law. In it he looks at: Mike “relocationgeek” Deane is on a mission!May 31, 2012 Check out his blog this week for the first in a series on the top five things that you should be doing to your relocation policy NOW. WARNING – acting on the relocationgeek’s advice will keep you ahead of the relocation curve.Have you claimed your 2011 EU Vat refund yet?May 17, 2012 The June 2012 deadline is fast approaching. For more information on receiving the full refund your non-EU company is entitled to check out this article from Ernst & Young's T Magazine. Accelerated Labour Market Opinion Process LaunchedApril 25, 2012 Human Resources and Skills Development Canada announced today the launch of the Accelerated Labour Market Opinion (ALMO) program. As we reported on April 10th, the ALMO program is expected to reduce the HRSDC / Service Canada processing time. If the employer meets all the eligibility criteria to participate in the A-LMO Initiative, HRSDC/Service Canada will then verify if the employer has agreed to all of the attestations and issue a positive A-LMO within 10 business days. European Commission to Examine Taxation of Cross-Border WorkersApril 17, 2012 As reported by KPMG, the European Commission announced recently that it will examine the taxation of cross-border workers. Throughout 2012, the EC will assess the direct tax systems of EU Member States to determine whether they create unfair disadvantages for workers that live in one Member State and work in another. Accelerated LMO Process Coming SoonApril 10, 2012 As reported by Greenberg Turner in its latest alert, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) will imminently announce the launch of an Accelerated Labour Market Opinion (ALMO) program. Under the new program, HRSDC expects to process LMO applications within 10 days from the date of submission for eligible employers seeking LMOs for managerial and high skilled occupations. New Simplified LMO Process in QuebecApril 2, 2012 The province of Quebec has implemented a new simplified Labour Market Opinion (LMO) process. The new process no longer requires employers hiring foreign workers to provide proof of recruitment efforts in 44 occupations in a variety of fields. This news is of particular interest for employers that were using the now defunct IT Worker Program. US Citizen and Immigration Services Accepting H-1B Visa Petitions for Fiscal Year 2013March 26, 2012 On Monday, April 2, 2012, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin accepting FY 2013 H-1B cap-subject petitions for employment starting on October 1, 2012. Canadian Temporary Foreign Worker Compliance Audits IncreaseMarch 21, 2012 Recently there has been an increase in compliance audits, including assessments, to ensure TFWs are working under Subtantially the Same (STS) terms and conditions of employment set out in the Labour Market Opinion (LMO) confirmation letter and annex. It has been almost a year since Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) announced new rules for employers hiring foreign nationals under the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program . These new rules are aimed at ensuring that employers meet their responsibilities under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR). Stricter Enforcement of Japanese Import RegulationsMarch 15, 2012 As reported on March 8, 2012 by Santa Fe Relocation, Japan Import Regulations for air shipments are being more strictly enforced at the Narita Airport.Business Leaders Want ActionMarch 11, 2012 Canadian business leaders were asked to rank a number of key issues that should be addressed in the upcoming federal budget. Their responses clearly show that the gap between available jobs and the skill set of available workers is of key concern. Detailed Valuations for Household Goods, Trend or Anomaly?February 28, 2012 Recently we have seen an increase in the incidences of employees being asked for additional information when crossing the border in advance of their household goods shipment. When transporting household goods into Canada from the United States the employee is required to provide a listing of goods accompanying them as well as a listing of goods that will follow at a later date. Both of these lists are to indicate the value of the items shipped. UK Announces New Independent Border AgencyFebruary 24, 2012 In response to a report from the Independent Chief Inspector for the UK Border Agency, the UKBA has announced that it will be establishing an independent agency, the UK Border Force. The new agency will be created in early March 2012 and will be responsible for border controls and inspection services. View the full Fragomen report here. The US has New L-1 Visa RuleFebruary 16, 2012 As reported by Fragomen, the US Department of State announced a new rule that allows L-1 visas to be issued for up to five years. Canada's Rental Vacancy Rate DecreasesFebruary 6, 2012 As reported by CMHC the average rental apartment vacancy rate in 35 of Canada's major centres showed a slight year over year decrease. Canada’s Housing MarketJanuary 12, 2012 Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has released its Housing Market Outlook.relocation knowledge centreblogrelo-lert
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