Expat Immigration News

Latest 10 news items tagged Immigration

20 Jul at 6 PM 2020

Expat retirees in Thailand still scared of more rule changes

Chaos still rules in Thailand’s immigration requirement for long-stay expats. Whilst tourists and other visitors are now covered until late September by the junta government’s latest edict, other sectors of the expat community may be left out in the cold. Having made a sensible decision based on helping trapped visitors on tourist visas, the government seems to have left out other expat sectors which continually contribute to the country’s economy. The decision to allow another amnesty, for want of a better description, was...
17 Jul at 6 PM 2020

Hope springs eternal for expats and visitors trapped in Thailand

Expats trapped in Thailand and threatened with deportation on the expiry of the visa amnesty are waiting with bated breath after several local English language media outlets suggested there’s now hope for another extension. Thousands of business travellers, tourists and expatriates whose visas had expired during Thailand’s strict lockdowns have been stuck in the country for months, unable to leave due to border closures and an almost total lack of international flights. Yesterday’s flight listings from Bangkok’s international...
15 Jul at 6 PM 2020

Trapped expats in Thailand now dumped by their embassies

As if things weren’t bad enough already, Bangkok embassies are now refusing their trapped expats the necessary visa extension letters. For those expats trapped for months in Thailand and now under threat of fines and deportation as the visa amnesty ends, the last hope of an embassy letter supporting another extension of stay has now been snatched away by their own people. Both the British and USA embassies have now dumped their troubled citizens in the mire, as the letter is a mandatory requirement for trapped foreigners needing a...
14 Jul at 6 PM 2020

What now for unlucky expats and visitors trapped in Thailand?

As the end of the month approaches, thousands of expats and unlucky visitors trapped in Thailand due to the pandemic are fearing being thrown out of the country once their visa amnesties end. Many of those affected will simply have nowhere to go as their countries’ borders are also closed. What threat to Thailand and its excellent handling of its pandemic do these trapped visitors and expats pose? They’re been here for months and are virus-free, yet are about to be thrown out like unwanted rubbish with many as yet having no way of...
13 Jul at 6 PM 2020

Hongkongers and expats mourning the loss of Hong Kong’s soul

As the Hong Kong crisis escalates, Hong Kong expats living in the UK are welcoming Britain’s offer whilst mourning the loss of the city’s soul. The British government’s offer to millions of Hong Kong residents of a pathway to UK citizenship is being welcomed by those expats already in the UK, but it’s being criticised for not being open to many of those desperate to leave. Coincidentally – or not, those Hongkongers born after the then colony’s return to rule by China in 1997 were those most active in the 2019...
16 Jun at 6 PM 2020

Expat owned businesses in China now at risk from lockdown

The Chinese ban on entry is causing fear and confusion in both international schools and foreign companies. Foreign businesses and international schools in China have been badly hit by the country’s travel ban and lockdown, with international students, company executives and teachers fearing for their futures in one way or another. Many are stranded overseas, either in their home countries, in holiday destinations or in countries home to their head offices. Families are separated and companies are struggling to cope without their...
16 Jun at 6 PM 2020

Unemployed expats hoping they’ll find new jobs in the Netherlands

Dutch media are now reporting on the plight of expat professional residents who’ve lost their jobs. Concentrating on the situations now being experienced by highly-skilled expat incomers and students at Dutch universities, the media is exposing their visa situations once they lose their jobs as well as citing their struggles to maintain employment. Those who don’t succeed have just three short months to find new employment before they’re forced to leave the country, with the international community now experiencing fear on a...
15 Jun at 6 PM 2020

Expats praise Gibraltar for its handling of the coronavirus

Residents on Gibraltar can now cross the Spanish border after showing proof of active involvement on the Rock. After languishing for a while due to governmental concerns, the freedom to enter Spain is now accepted by immigration officials, although expats had to hold their breath before it became official. At first, those non-resident on the Rock and without valid Gibraltar IDs and residency cards feared they’d not be allowed in, and their status is still somewhat confusing. Demonstrating the insecurity, local social media posts...
10 Jun at 6 PM 2020

Expat retirees in Thailand faced with tricky choices

Expat retirees who chose Thailand as their new home from home are now faced with difficult decisions. Although the expat presence in Thailand’s capital Bangkok is mostly composed of professionals with established jobs, hotspots all across the country still have their own share of foreign residents. Retired expats in particular have been given a rough ride over the past few years as regards changes to visa regulations, all of which have caused worry and fear that another relocation might be the only option. Foreign communities of...
28 May at 6 PM 2020

Japan offers visa extensions and free accommodation to trapped expats

Japan is offering free accommodation to trapped foreign students and stranded expatriates. As in other countries worldwide, Japan now has a large number of expats trapped in the country since international borders were closed and lockdowns imposed. Luckily for foreigners now struggling financially, the tradition of Japanese hospitality is far from dead, as many hotels and universities are opening their doors for free stays until the crisis abates. One of Kanazawa’s popular tourist hotels, the Kaname Inn Tatemachi, is now...