Other Briefings
Singapore’s 2014 Budget: Takeaways for Foreign Investors
Last Friday, Singapore’s Minister for Finance and Deputy Prime Minister presented the 2014 Budget to Parliament for the financial year April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015. In this article, we present the key tax initiatives from the 2014 Budget.
Intellectual Property Rights Strategies in Southeast Asia: Know Before You Go
The principle issues surrounding Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) development, protection and enforcement are essential to all aspects of your ASEAN business. Your IPR strategy should be considered one of the main pillars of your business, not unlike your business strategy or HR strategy.
Report: ASEAN Should Facilitate Visa Procedures
A joint report from the UN World Tourism Organization and World Travel & Tourism Council suggests that facilitating ASEAN visa procedures could attract between 6 and 10 million additional international tourist arrivals by 2016.
Indonesia’s Ban on Raw Mineral Exports Takes Effect
On Sunday, January 12th, Indonesia’s controversial ban on raw mineral ore exports took effect an hour after President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono signed off on some eleventh hour exemptions. The rationale behind the ban is to encourage the domestic processing of raw mineral ore into higher value metal products. The hope is that a greater share […]
Visa Applications and Work Permits in Thailand
Foreigners looking to work in Thailand need to apply for both a visa and work permit. The non-immigrant “B” visa is the appropriate visa for anyone looking to conduct business or investment activity within Thailand. There are three “B” visa options based on duration of stay.
Work Visa Procedures in the Philippines
The Philippines’ Bureau of Immigration is responsible for processing and issuing visa requests in the country. For foreigners seeking employment in the Philippines, there are eligible non-immigrant visa types for short-term business, pre-arranged employment and for foreign treaty traders or foreign investors.
Work Permit and Visa Applications in Malaysia
Oct. 24 – Malaysia has a flexible visa policy that allows a majority of countries to enter without a visa for business trips that do not last longer than 90 days, including foreign nationals from the United States, France, Australia, Brazil, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Nonetheless, it is important to check ahead of time […]
Laos to Increase Foreign Workers
Oct. 17 – Laos is currently suffering from a shortage of skilled labor and, as a result, the Laotian Ministry of Labor has announced that the country needs to bring in at least 70,000 more foreign workers to support its current workforce. Laos has already brought in 20,000 foreign workers as of late, but it has […]
Vietnam, Myanmar Ease Visa Restrictions
Oct. 9 – In a move to strengthen relations between the two ASEAN countries of Myanmar and Vietnam, starting October 26, 2013, Vietnamese passport holders will no longer have to obtain a visa in order to visit Myanmar for short term stays of up to 14 days. The visa exemption agreement, which was enacted to […]
Work Permits and Visas in Indonesia
Indonesia passed new immigration laws in 2011, and as a result there are now various options available to foreign workers for obtaining visas and working permits in the country. We examine Indonesia’s work permits and visa types here.
