foreign workers

Getting tougher on naturalisation

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Getting tougher on naturalisation

The new requirements for applying for Cypriot nationality include: living in Cyprus for 12 months continuously before the application submission (with a permissible absence of up to 90 days), being of good character, having sufficient knowledge of the Greek language (proven by a written examination), demonstrating knowledge of local political and social realities (assessed by a 3-member committee), having suitable accommodation and stable financial resources, intending genuinely to reside in Cyprus, and excluding asylum seekers or holders of international protection, and foreign students from the time of stay calculation. Failure to meet any of these conditions results in application rejection. The requirements have retrospective effect, applying even to applications submitted before the law amendment in March 2024. Exceptions are made for Ireland and Denmark within the EU. Highly skilled foreign workers can obtain citizenship after residing in Cyprus for four to five years, depending on qualifications, and must pass a Greek language test at level B1 for a five-year stay or A1 for a four-year stay, without needing to pass history/culture tests.

Canada plans to reduce temporary residents, cap future intake

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Canada plans to reduce temporary residents, cap future intake

Canada plans to reduce its temporary residents and set a cap on temporary immigration for the first time, aiming to address a housing shortage and stretched essential services. The government intends to decrease temporary residents to 5% of the total population over the next three years from 6.5% in 2023, which is about a 20% cut from the 2.5 million temporary residents in 2023. Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced the plan and will meet with provincial and territorial counterparts in May to finalize it. The government will also include temporary resident arrivals in the immigration levels plan starting this fall. Additionally, Canada announced a two-year cap on the intake of foreign students and will stop issuing work permits to some students after graduation.

Our View: Labour minister is biased against businesses

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Our View: Labour minister is biased against businesses

Yiannis Panayiotou is the Minister of Labour in the Christodoulides government, known for his strong support of union interests. Over the past year, he has implemented several measures favoring workers, including increasing the Cost of Living Adjustment (CoLA), raising the minimum wage and the minimum wage in the hotel industry, introducing telework legislation, stopping outdoor work during heatwaves, drafting a law to protect workers from standing too long, extending maternity leave to five-and-a-half months, and raising the income of practising lawyers and engineers by €100. Plans for the coming year include stronger regulation of work terms and conditions, more support for working parents, tackling illegal work, extending parental leave, increasing birth allowance, and enhancing workplace safety. Despite these efforts, there is a concern about addressing the labor shortage of about 150,000 workers, especially in the hotel industry. Panayiotou aims to clamp down on illegal employment by increasing inspections by 65% and raising fines, but there are doubts about his approach to the labor market’s needs and his perceived bias against business interests.

Knowledge of Greek set to impact work permits

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Knowledge of Greek set to impact work permits

Knowledge of Greek will be a key factor in the renewal of work permits and for new foreign applicants, according to Minister of Labour Yiannis Panayiotou. Despite a clampdown on illegal work, there is still a shortage in the domestic workforce to meet the island’s labor needs. Priority for employment will be given to the unemployed and students from third countries already residing in Cyprus. Proficiency in Greek will be required, especially for long-term employees in the service sectors. A satisfactory level of Greek will expedite the examination of work applications. A campaign to attract EU workers is also in progress, involving bilateral agreements with accession states and third countries for the utilization of medium and low-skilled workers. Inspections will increase to 10,000 in 2024, up from 6,000 in 2023.