Switzerland
Federal Council lifts quotas for Croatian nationals in 2025
From 1 January 2025, Croatian nationals coming to work in Switzerland will benefit once again from full freedom of movement. At its meeting on 27 November 2024, the Federal Council adopted an amendment to the Ordinance on the Free Movement of Persons (FMPO) to this effect.
Full freedom of movement for Croatian nationals was introduced in 2022. As a result of the sharp increase in the number of Croatian workers that year, the Federal Council decided to unilaterally activate the safeguard clause provided for in the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons (AFMP) and to reintroduce quotas in 2023 and 2024. During these two years, the number of short-term permits (EU/EFTA L permits) was limited to 1,053 per year and the number of residence permits (EU/EFTA B permits) to 1,204 per year. The quotas for 2024 have already been used up.
As the safeguard clause may only be applied for a maximum of two consecutive years, Croatian nationals will once more have full access to the Swiss labour market from 1 January 2025.
If the number of Croatian workers in this country exceeds a certain threshold again in 2025, Switzerland may once more invoke the safeguard clause and limit the number of permits, but only for the year 2026. This is because Croatia is subject to a transitional period of ten years, until 31 December 2026, after which date Croatian nationals will definitively benefit from full free movement of persons, in the same way as nationals of the other EU member states.
Between 1 January 2017 – the date on which Croatia became a contracting party to the AFMP – and 31 December 2021, the Federal Council imposed restrictions on the number of Croatian workers permitted to come and work in Switzerland.
United Kingdom
Changes introduced to visa regime for Colombians and Ukrainians
On 26 November 2024, the UK government published a new statement of changes to the Immigration Rules, which introduces a visa requirement for nationals of Colombia, as well as a number of changes to the visa schemes for nationals of Ukraine. A written ministerial statement is here.
Colombian nationals
Effective immediately, a visa is required for nationals of Colombia travelling to visit or transit the UK.
Consequently, Colombia is removed from the list of countries whose nationals are able to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) from 27 November 2024 for travel to the UK on or after 8 January 2025.
There will be a four-week, visa-free transition period for those who already hold confirmed bookings to the UK obtained on or before 15:00 GMT 26 November 2024 where arrival in the UK is no later than 15:00 GMT 24 December 2024.
According to the Uk government, this measure has been. taken due to an increase in the number of Colombian nationals travelling to the UK for purposes other than those permitted under visitor rules since the visa requirement was lifted in November 2022.
Ukrainian nationals
On 4 February 2025, the existing Ukraine Extension Scheme (UES) will close, and a new Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) Scheme will open.
In February 2024, the UK Government announced that Ukrainians with permission under one of the Ukraine Schemes would be able to extend their permission for a further 18 months under the UPE, which will provide the same rights and entitlements to access work, benefits, healthcare, and education that Ukrainians have enjoyed under the existing schemes. The scheme will also be fee-free, with applications being accepted within the last 28-days of their current permission expiring – in line with most other visas routes – to ensure Ukrainians have sufficient time to apply to the scheme.
Applicants will be required to have been resident in the UK (and Islands) and/or Ukraine since holding permission under the Ukraine Schemes.
Under UPE, children will need adequate care and accommodation arrangements in place in order to meet our safeguarding obligations. Where a child is not in the UK with their parent, the government will seek parental consent to confirm their current living situation. In some cases, referral to the Local Authority where the child is living will be necessary.
Where a Ukrainian child is resident in the UK with their parent and both hold permission under the Ukraine Schemes, the child’s period of permission granted to them under UPE will be aligned with that of their parent.
In May this year, the Ukraine Extension Scheme (UES) was closed to all individuals, except to UK-born children with a parent who has, or has had, Ukraine scheme permission, who have still been able to apply under UES to regularise their permission in the UK.
Upon the opening of the UPE scheme in early 2025, the UES route will be closed completely and UK-born children will instead apply through UPE, though they will not need to have had prior permission.
Additionally, the government is ending the use of permission to travel (PTT) letters on the Ukraine schemes, effective 13 February 2025. PTT letters were issued as part of an exceptional biometric deferral application process, implemented in response to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, to allow those fleeing war to quickly reach sanctuary in the UK. However, this process closed to new applicants on 7 December 2023 and all Ukraine scheme applicants are now required to attend a Visa Application Centre (VAC) to provide their biometrics before travelling.
Applicants who have been issued with a PTT letter but not yet travelled to the UK, can use it before restrictions take effect. Any applicants who have not travelled to the UK when the restrictions take effect will be informed that their PTT letters can no longer be used.
The Homes for Ukraine scheme will remain open and uncapped for those who wish to reapply for sanctuary in the UK.
Changes to Long Residence route
The government is making a minor change to the eligibility requirements for the Long Residence route, effective 18 December 2024, to make clear that permission to stay in the UK under the Ukraine Schemes, including the new UPE, cannot be used to qualify for permission to stay or settlement under the Long Residence route. This change brings the Rules in step with the already established policy position.
Electronic Travel Authorisation now open to non-Europeans
From 27 November 2024, all eligible non-European visitors can apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) and will need one to travel to the UK from 8 January 2025.
Eligible Europeans will be able to apply for an ETA from 5 March 2025 and will need an ETA to travel to the UK from 2 April 2025. From April 2025, all visitors to the UK who do not need a visa for short stays and who do not already have a UK immigration status will need an ETA.
Eligible visitors should apply for their ETA through the UK ETA app. Visitors can also apply via the gov.uk website if they do not have access to a smartphone.
An ETA costs GBP 10, permits multiple journeys, and lasts for two years or until the holder’s passport expires – whichever is sooner. Once granted, ETAs are digitally linked to a traveller’s passport and allow for stays of up to six months at a time – including both short trips and more extended stays. An ETA is not a visa, it is a digital permission to travel.
All travellers to the UK – except British and Irish citizens – will need permission to travel in advance through either an ETA or an eVisa.
