ICYMI: El Nino, the EG.5 COVID subvariant, and global immigration

Are weather conditions disrupting your global mobility program? Out recently from Crisis24, this article explains the nuances and potential of El Nino conditions. For the first time in seven years, the phase’s influence on weather patterns across Latin America is likely to cause periods of severe drought and intense rainfall in various parts of the region over the coming months. Abnormal rainfall distributions will have significant effects on many areas of life due to their impact on agricultural production, wildfire activity, disease outbreaks, utilities, and ultimately the economies and societies in the region.

As we move ahead into the future, it's likely you will continue to see weather and environmental issues disrupt your global mobility programs and other company initiatives. Let's look at a few recent changes and updates that could also impact your relocation and assignment programming:

1. United States: The new subvariant of COVID-19, EG.5 (aka "Eris") is now making up nearly 20% of cases in the U.S. and has become the dominant strain. The EG.5 subvariant is a version of the omicron strain, with symptoms including headache, cough, fever, fatigue, and muscle aches. This variant has seen a rise in hospitalizations and infections in the US, Europe, and Asia. The good news is that upcoming vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna have proven effective against the variant in studies. 
   On the immigration side, the September Visa Bulletin has been released. For the first time in years, the F2A category is no longer current, meaning the spouses and minor children of green card holders will be waiting longer for their green card applications to be approved.
2. Canada: The Canadian government announced their new Recognized Employer Pilot which will launch in September to address labor shortages. This new pilot will reduce administrative burdens for repeat employers who have a history of compliance with the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Per Crisis24, emergency crews continue working to contain wildfires across Northwest Territories, Canada, as of Aug. 18. Yellowknife evacuations ongoing. Read More 
3. United Kingdom: Per Newland Chase, UK Visas and Immigration announced that later this year the Home Office will decide on options to increase their action against licensed businesses employing illegal workers. Since the beginning of 2018, there have been almost 5,000 civil penalties issued, totaling up to £88.4million imposed upon those businesses found to be employing illegal workers. Immigration enforcement is now at its highest levels, with an increase in visits of 50% this year, while arrests for 2023 year-to-date have already eclipsed the total for the whole of 2022. Also, Brexit has resulted in a loss of right-to-work in the EU for UK nationals and their 180-day limit in the Schengen area has dropped to 90-days, leading to an increase in work visa applications from UK nationals in Germany. This influx has led the German Consulate to be much stricter in accepting applications. The Consulate has been looking into all previous travel to Germany and anything over 19 days is considered an extensive stay and results in the refusal of the application. If an application is refused, the UK national will receive a 6-month travel ban from the Schengen area.
4. Germany: The German government is pushing to make immigration easier for skilled workers via the Skilled Workers Immigration Act which will soon be implemented. This act is aiming to remove bureaucratic hurdles for skilled workers so they can more efficiently live and work in Germany. Workers will be able to enter Germany either through IT skills, work experience, or gaining the “Opportunity Card” which will allow workers to enter Germany for up to one year for the purpose of finding a job.
5. Italy: The Italian government is introducing new conditions for entry and residence for third-country nationals when applying for the EU Blue Card. Applicants must now be required to hold at least two years of post-secondary education or a university-level degree, they must hold five years of professional experience in a relevant field, and applicants for manager or specialist rolls must hold at least three years of professional experience in information and communication technologies and this experience must have been obtained in the last seven years. Additionally, the job offer must be for a period of six months or more and the salary must not be lower than the national average. 
6. New Zealand: Finally, after three years, New Zealand has lifted all Covid-19 restrictions. The requirement to wear masks in hospitals and other healthcare facilities has ended, as has a requirement for people who caught the virus to isolate themselves for seven days. The virus is having a much smaller impact on healthcare in the country as they have been able to complete 16,000 more operations than last year, which is a very good indication of health for the country's medical networks.
7. Bangladesh: Per Crisis24, elevated dengue fever activity reported nationwide in Bangladesh through August. Dhaka is most affected. Avoid mosquito bites. Read More 
8. South Africa: The anticipated digital nomad visa for South Africa has been delayed after the Ministry of Home Affairs missed a deadline for implementation. The South African government is anticipating that the country (specifically Cape Town) will be a popular destination for digital nomads once the visa program is finally rolled out.
9. Chile: The United States and Chile have signed a visa waiver agreement which will allow Chilean nationals with a valid passport to enter the United States for tourism or business for up to 90 days. Individuals must hold a valid electronic travel authorization which is valid for two years.
10. Brazil: Brazil implemented a visitor visa plan which, when originally announced, stated that foreign nationals from Australia, Canada, Japan, and the United States would need to apply for visit visas to enter the country for tourism or business. The Visitor Visa platform (VIVI) is expected to launch on September 1^st, though it is not required until October 1^st. Brazil announced last week that Japan is no longer included on the list of required countries as Japan has signed a reciprocal visa waiver agreement with Brazil, slated to go into effect on September 30^th.