Category: Americas

Visas, Immigration & Nationality

Spain Extends Citizenship by Descent Law Until 2025

Spain has extended citizenship by descent until October 2025. In October 2022, the so-called “Grandchildren’s Law” (Ley de Nietos) came into force. The extension aims to enable a larger number of applicants to complete their applications and integrate into Spanish society, thus strengthening ties between Spain and its citizens dispersed worldwide due to historical events.…
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Portugal Reinstates Tax Breaks to Attract Foreign Residents

The Portuguese government is set to bring back tax breaks for foreign residents, aiming to lure highly skilled workers despite past criticisms that the scheme inflated housing prices. Originally launched in 2009 during a financial crisis, the “Non-Habitual Resident” (NHR) scheme offered a special 20% tax rate on Portuguese-sourced income from high-value activities such as…
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Japan to Introduce Electronic Travel Authorisation for Visa-Free Visitors

The Japanese government has announced plans to implement an online system for travel authorization for visa-exempt travellers. This new system was adopted during a meeting of Cabinet ministers at the Prime Minister’s Office. Under the new system, foreign visitors who do not require short-stay visas will need to provide their information online, including the purpose…
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Hungary Relaunches Golden Visa Program

Hungary is back with its Golden Visa Program, now called the Guest Investor Program (GIP), starting July 1, 2024.  This program, which stopped in March 2017, allows wealthy people from outside the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) to get residency in Hungary. This residence permit is granted for 10 years and may…
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Schengen Countries With the Most Visa Rejections in 2023

In a devastating blow to hopeful travellers, Schengen countries denied over 1.6 million visa applications in 2023, accounting for a staggering 15.8 percent of all requests. According to data from the EU Commission, France led the pack in visa rejections, turning down 436,893 applications. This equates to 16.6 percent of all visa requests France received,…
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