Topia’s Immigration News & Solutions Roundup - January 2024

Welcome to the fourth installment of 'Navigating Business Immigration,' our series featuring the latest global developments in business immigration, from visa program updates and policy changes to the evolving immigration landscape. Join our in-house immigration experts as they report on immigration updates and how Topia’s products and solutions reflect these new changes.

Kenya: All Foreign Nationals now Visa Exempt for Business and Tourism; ETA Required for Most

As of January 1, 2024, all foreign nationals are now eligible to enter Kenya without a visa for tourism or business stays of up to 90 days. However, an electronic travel authorization (ETA) is required for all but East African Community (EAC) nationals. EAC nationals are currently those from Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. The ETA can be obtained at https://www.etakenya.go.ke/en for a fee of USD 30. In most cases, the ETA will be granted within three business days. A new ETA Is required for each trip to Kenya. Applicants will receive their ETA by email, and they must present it on arrival with their passport. 

How has Topia addressed this in its immigration solutions?

In our solution, we have made Kenya a default visa waiver country, which means all nationals will automatically be treated as visa exempt for allowable business activities and stays of up to 90 days. We also added a notation on all visa waiver outcomes (except for EAC nationals) explaining the ETA requirement with a link to the ETA website.

South Korea: Digital Nomad Visa Pilot Program Introduced

South Korea introduced the "Workcation" Digital Nomad Visa for remote workers in January 2024 under an indefinite pilot program. The visa is valid for one year and can be extended for one more year. Visa holders may not work for South Korean employers unless they secure a separate sponsored work visa. Visa holders may bring their family members (legal spouse and unmarried children aged 18 or under). Foreign nationals must meet the following requirements to qualify:

• Work for a company registered abroad;
• Be able to conduct their work remotely;
• Have worked in the same industry for at least one year;
• Have a clear police record;
• Have an annual income of at least KRW 84.96 million; and
• Have health insurance coverage of at least KRW 100 million.

Applicants can apply through a South Korean consular post in their country of residence, which will issue the visa. After arrival in South Korea, the visa holder must obtain a residence card.

How has Topia addressed this in its immigration solutions?

We added a section on this new work visa type to the South Korea country summary in our Global Immigration Library under Work Authorization > Work Permit Types.

Türkiye: Nationals of US and Five Other Countries now Visa Exempt for Business and Tourism

Türkiye introduced a visa exemption for nationals of Bahrain, Canada, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States on December 23, 2023. Nationals of these countries can now enter Türkiye without a visa for business or tourism purposes provided they limit their stay to 90 days within any 180-day period. These countries join a long list of other countries whose nationals were already eligible to enter Türkiye without a visa.

How has Topia addressed this in its immigration solutions?

These countries were added to the “90 days in a 180-day period” visa waiver group in the Türkiye record in our immigration assessment system. Assessments for nationals of these countries now reflect Visa Waiver outcomes when users indicate they will be conducting allowable business visitor activities and staying for up to 90 days in a 180-day period. 

Various Countries: Minimum Salary Increases for 2024

Some of the countries that have done so recently are Austria, Belarus, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Poland, Serbia, and Türkiye, among others.

How has Topia addressed this in its immigration solutions?

We updated the minimum salary requirements, as applicable, for each work permit type under Work Authorization > Work Permit Types and under Red Flags in our Global Immigration Library for the countries that have made changes. For example:

Topia’s Solutions for Immigration

 Global Immigration Library

Topia’s Global Immigration Library provides instant access to the most up-to-date domestic and global immigration information for almost 80 countries. This includes allowable business visitor activities, common work permit types and process steps, maximum durations of stay for both visitors and workers, and average visa and work permit processing times. The data that powers the library is provided by a network of the world’s top immigration experts. Learn more here.

Visa & Travel Risk Management

Topia’s visa and travel risk management tool allows business travelers and remote workers to perform their own pre-travel immigration assessments in real-time. The tool helps employees understand exactly which documents they will require to enter a country based on their nationality, duration of stay, and activities, i.e. a work permit, a business visa, an electronic travel authorization, or just a passport. Learn more here.

Topia’s immigration solutions enable assignees, remote workers, business travelers and their employers to stay compliant with global immigration requirements and to prepare for their immigration processes.

Want to know more about Topia’s immigration solutions? Reach out to info@topia.com to find out more.