Immigration news updates for APAC and EMEA regions
Asia-Pacific
China: Visa-free entry policy announcement
The Chinese government expanded its visa-exemption policy. Starting from November 8, 2024, until December 31, 2025, citizens of Andorra, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovakia and South Korea holding ordinary passports can travel to China without a visa. This applies to trips for business, tourism, family visits, or transit, provided the stay does not exceed 15 days.
This summary was prepared using the information from the Embassy of PRC
Philippines: Implementation of Philippine e-Visa system in India
Effective October 28, 2024, the Department of Foreign Affairs through its Philippine Embassy and Consulates in India has implemented the Philippine electronic visa (e-Visa).
Indian nationals and other visa-required nationals with long term residency in India may apply online at https://evisa.gov.ph. The e-Visa facility is exclusively for applications for 9(a) Temporary Visitor’s Visa for purposes such as short-term tourism or leisure, business, medical treatment, participation in meetings, conferences, trainings and athletic events. It is available for single entry or multiple entries (6 months or 1 year).
However, the 9(a) e-Visa is non-extendible and non-convertible to other visa types while in the Philippines.
Below is the list of Philippine consular offices in charge of processing e-Visas. The applicant must choose the office having jurisdiction over their place of residence:
| Office | Consular Jurisdiction |
| Embassy of the Philippines in NEW DELHI | Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashimir, Ladakh |
| Honorary Consulate General of the Philippines in KOLKATA | Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Kharkhand, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Sikkim, Tripura, West Bengal |
| Honorary Consulate General of the Philippines in CHENNAI | Andra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kera, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Lakshadweep, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands |
| Honorary Consulate General of the Philippines in MUMBAI | Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (DNHDD) |
The payment for e-Visa fee is currently via bank transfer to the respective accounts of the consular offices and it is non-refundable. The processing time of e-Visas will be 7-12 working days for single entry and 15-21 working days for multiple entries.
The 9(a) visa under sticker type will only be issued for travel for the following purposes:
| 9(a) | Students eligible to apply for 9(f) visa |
| 9(a-8) | Visitors with other purposes (i.e. those with pending application for working visa or dependent’s visa; pending SRRV application or SRRV dependent application; 9(g) dependent |
| 9(b) | Transit in the Philippines |
| 9(c) | Seafarers joining a registered vessel |
| 9(e) | Diplomats and dependents |
| 9(f) | Students (18 years old and above taking up tertiary education) |
| 47(a)(2) | Special non-immigrant visa |
All relevant visa requirements must be complied with and the data entry in the system is the applicant’s sole responsibility. The Embassy and its Consulates General reiterate that they have no obligation to explain their decisions on individual visa applications.
Applicants who will be travelling to the Philippines with an intention to convert the 9(a) Visa into other visa types must ensure to apply for the sticker type visa, and avoid the e-visa application.
This summary was prepared using the information from the Philippine Embassy in New Delhi
Singapore: Updated COMPASS criteria
Singaporean officials have announced revised qualification criteria for the points-based Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS), which will apply to new and renewal applications starting from January 1, 2025.
The COMPASS system is applicable for all Employment Pass and the initial round of annual updates to its criteria was covered here.
The revision is connected to Stage 2 and the points-based COMPASS system for bachelor’s degrees and above qualifications earned from the following eligible institutions:
- Group A institutions: 20 points are awarded for degrees from any faculty.
- Group B institutions: 20 points are granted only for degrees from designated faculties.
Updated details for Group A and Group B can be found in this table.
This summary was prepared using the information from the Ministry of Manpower
Disclaimer: The above information is provided for general information purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. If you have any further inquiries regarding the applicability of this information, please contact Debra Jane Beynon (Regional Immigration Manager, APAC) and Roberta Carnaccini (Global Director of Immigration).
Europe, Middle East and Africa
United Arab Emirates: Extension of grace period
The government announced the extension of the grace period for foreign nationals to rectify their residency status. Previously, the deadline was set for October 31, 2024, and now it is extended to December 31, 2024. The status can be regulated by either departing the country or obtaining employment to change the foreign national’s residency status, without incurring fines or facing entry bans.
This summary was prepared using the information from the Emirates News Agency Wam
Disclaimer: The above information is provided for general information purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. If you have any further inquiries regarding the applicability of this information, please contact Roberta Carnaccini (Global Director of Immigration).
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