India: Deadline for Expired OCI Cards Extended

Malaysia has introduced a digital option for foreign nationals to apply for a Multiple Entry Visa (MEV) for business, tourism and medical purposes.

The UAE has launched a new service for residents with cancelled residency who left the country for study, work, or medical reasons for over 6 months.

China has reopened select visa offices in the U.S. (Los Angeles, Washington D.C, Chicago, San Francisco and New York).

The government of Israel introduced new regulations that will allow the government to issue digital B-1 work visa types.

Ireland extended the U.S.-Ireland Working Holiday program, allowing students or recent graduates from both countries to live and work in either country.

Canada extended and expanded a permanent resident program for construction workers in the Greater Toronto Area.

Colombia introduced a new Temporary Protection Permit (PPT) certificate for select nationals of Venezuela, who have previously submitted and received a notice of an approved PPT form.

Qatar will implement the mandatory Health Insurance Scheme on Feb 1, 2023, which will require all visitors to obtain insurance from a Qatari-registered company.

Vietnam will reduce fees for permanent residency registration by 50% on Feb 5, 2023, for applications through the online public service portal.

The U.S. Missions in India launched special Saturday visa interviews to reduce wait times for first-time applicants, with some U.S. embassies expanding consular operations.

Russia and Belarus have signed a mutual visa recognition agreement that will enter into force on 1 February 2023.

Germany relaxed immigration laws by lowering language requirements for spouses of third-country workers and simplifying residence permit application process.

The UAE government has extended the deadline for employers to switch foreign national worker contracts from indefinite to fixed-term until December 2023.

USCIS has announced dates for the FY 2024 H-1B cap season. Registration begins on March 1, 2023.

The work permit quota in Italy for unskilled workers and startup visa applicants increased to 82,705 for 2023.

The government of Canada announced that the processing of passport applications has returned to the pre-pandemic timeline.

The authorities of Hong Kong officially launched the Top Talent Pass Scheme on 28 December 2022.

On Jan. 23, 2023, USCIS announced that it is extending the Green Card validity for conditional permanent residents with a pending Form I-751, provided they properly file their forms.

The government of Costa Rica removed requirements for nationals and residents of Costa Rica to obtain an entry stamp within their passports when exiting the country.