Croatia is experiencing a chronic labor shortage, leading the country to open its doors to migrants from Nepal, India, the Philippines, and other countries to fill vacant positions in the construction and service industries. In 2023, Croatia issued nearly 120,000 work permits to non-EU nationals, marking a 40% increase from the previous year. However, migrants face challenges such as cramped and expensive housing, anti-immigrant rhetoric, and language barriers. To address these issues, the Croatian government is planning to amend the law on foreigners to regulate accommodation, provide language classes, and oversee temporary employment agencies. It is estimated that Croatia may need up to 500,000 foreign workers by the end of the decade. Many migrants see Croatia as a starting point in Europe and come to the country to financially support their families. While some individuals exploit the new arrivals, others work to assist them in finding employment. Croatia's homogeneous society and conservative attitudes pose obstacles to the integration of the new labor force [26f38bcb].
New Zealand has also introduced stricter rules for the Accredited Employer Work visa (AEWV) to address "unsustainable" migration levels. The changes include an English language requirement for low-skilled migrants and a reduced maximum stay of three years for low-skilled applicants. The new rules aim to attract necessary skills while reducing the vulnerability of migrants to exploitation. The government wants to prioritize New Zealanders for jobs without skills shortages. In 2023, New Zealand recorded 254,393 migrant arrivals and 115,263 migrant departures, resulting in a net migration of 139,130. The largest group of migrant arrivals were nationals of India, followed by those from the Philippines, New Zealand, China, and Fiji [b4aa9aa4] [26f38bcb].
The UK government has released an updated list of licensed companies eligible to sponsor skilled workers for relocation. The list now includes 113,919 approved companies, indicating an addition of 14,063 companies compared to the start of 2024. The companies are permitted to fill vacant positions with foreign workers, including Nigerians. The list covers various industries such as technology, commerce, education, media, advertisement, and engineering. The skilled worker route includes charity workers, skilled workers, creative workers, global business mobility, senior or specialist workers, and international sportspersons. Interested individuals are advised to visit the company's website to search for available vacancies. The UK also has a list of permitted jobs for skilled worker visas, including chief executives, production managers, financial managers, marketing directors, and more. The full list of licensed companies and permitted jobs can be found on the UK government's website [3abf3ae3].
Hong Kong is seeking to diversify its labor pool by attracting more talent from Southeast Asia and Europe. Currently, non-mainlanders account for about 25% of admissions across all talent schemes, while mainlanders dominate the Top Talent Pass Scheme. The government plans to attract overseas talent in finance, trade, commerce, and tech. The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Chris Sun Yuk-han, stated that the results of the talent drive have been encouraging. The government will strengthen awareness of the talent schemes and provide assistance to attract more talent. The Hong Kong Talent Engage office, established in October 2023, will continue to develop strategies and support services for professionals wanting to work in Hong Kong. The city also faces geopolitical challenges, but Sun dismissed concerns about the potential impact of antagonistic moves by the US. The government will assess the retention rate of top talent pass-holders and their intentions to stay in Hong Kong. The Top Talent Pass Scheme, rolled out in late 2022, offers a two-year visa to high earners and graduates from the world's top 100 universities. Successful applicants are mainly from the mainland, but younger professionals with overseas degrees also make up a significant portion. The median monthly pay of this group is HK$50,000, and they are expected to contribute HK$34 billion to the city's economy. The spouses of the newly arrived professionals are also highly educated, with a median monthly salary of HK$30,000 [4d9c7fee].
Poland has significantly reduced the issuance of visas for foreigners this year, cutting back by 50% to 90% depending on the type of visa. Between January 1 and June 14, 2024, Poland issued 98,000 work visas, with the majority going to Belarusians (over 32,000), Ukrainians (over 47,000), and Georgians (3,659). This is a sharp decline compared to the more than 284,000 work visas issued during the same period last year. The issuance of humanitarian visas has also dropped significantly, with only 542 issued in 2024 compared to nearly 55,000 issued from 2020 to 2023. The issuance of visas under the Poland Business Harbour program has been suspended. The Polish Prosecutor's Office is investigating a criminal case involving visa application fraud, specifically expedited visa applications submitted at Polish diplomatic missions in several countries. This reduction in visa issuance reflects Poland's changing immigration policies and increased scrutiny of visa applications [e660ce66].