General Updates
Denmark
On 23 March 2023, the Danish Parliament passed a number of amendments to the Danish Aliens Act which affect different schemes handled by the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI).
Among the changes to the work schemes, a new supplementary Pay Limit scheme will be available. The scheme can be used by third-country nationals who are employed in Denmark with a yearly salary of at least DKK 375,000 (lower than that the minimum salary for the current pay Limit Scheme). Moreover, the Fast Track scheme will include a supplementary pay limit track with the same minimum yearly salary.
Additionally, the Positive List for People with a degree and the Start-up Denmark scheme will expand to a broader range of applicants.
Third-country nationals who complete a Danish professional bachelor’s, master’s or PhD programme will automatically be granted a job-seeking period of three years with the right to work for three years after having completed their educational programme.
The Establishment card scheme will be abolished. However, third-country nationals with a residence permit under this scheme will still be able to apply for an extension of their establishment card after 1 April 2023.
The new rules come into effect on 1 April 2023 and on this date the relevant application pages and rules will be published on newtodenmark.dk.
European Union
The European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee has agreed draft legislation updating streamlining the issuance of single work and residence permits for third-country nationals.
The committee set a limit of 90 days for reaching a decision on these applications, compared to the current limit of four months. The time limit would be further reduced to 45 days for applicants selected through an EU talent partnership and those already holding a single permit in another EU country.
The committee amended the European Commission’s original proposal to include seasonal workers and those with temporary protection status.
Under the amended rules, there would also be a simplified procedure for single permit holders to change employer, and they would be allowed to maintain their status while unemployed and seeking new employment, for at least nine months, up from the three months proposed by the Commission.
Members of the European Parliament now have to negotiate the final form of the legislation with the Council of the EU.
Russia
Salary notifications for Highly Qualified Specialists (HQS) are due by 28 April 2023. Employers have until this date to report to the migration authorities the salaries of HQS foreign national employees for the first quarter of 2023.
Quarterly notifications must be submitted to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) within 30 days of the end of each quarter, and the reported salary should be at least RUB 167,000 per calendar month or RUB 501,000 per quarter.
Violation of the established notification procedure may lead to administrative fines on the employer. Failure to pay the salary in the minimum amount established for HQS may lead to the company being banned from employing new HQS employees for two years.
The Highly Qualified Specialist (HQS) program allows companies in Russia to employ foreign national workers for up to three years (renewable) with various benefits including a simplified application process and exemption from quotas.
COVID-19 Updates
United Kingdom
The different rules for passengers travelling to England from mainland China will end at 23:59 BST on 4 April 2023.
Travellers arriving in England after this time will not need to show notification of a negative test to their airline before travel. Those travelling close to the date of the change should check whether their airline expects them to have a negative test.
From 17 March 2023, passengers aged 18 or over travelling from mainland China and arriving at Heathrow Airport will no longer be invited to take a voluntary test on arrival.
