The new year could mean new resolutions to travel more. But before you get bogged down with visa woes, here are some updates that might help you maintain that travel calendar. From the United States accepting domestic visa renewal to France opening the gateway to digital visas, here’s what to expect in 2024:
A Schengen visa now gives access to two more countries
Romania and Bulgaria will take the first step towards integrating with the Schengen area on 31 March 2024. All internal air and sea border controls between the two countries and countries of the Schengen area will be lifted, followed by free land movement soon after. This means that Schengen visa holders will now be able to visit Bulgaria and Romania as part of the region.
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Travelling to Finland? You will need to show a proof of higher funds
If you’ve been saving up for that Europe trip, it’s time to recount the pennies: Finland has upped travellers’ daily financial requirement for short stays. Starting January this year, visitors and visa applicants need to show proof of available funds at €50 or Rs4,500 per day. Previously, this requirement was capped at €30 or Rs2,700 per day. On the bright side, though, the country has also introduced proof of sponsorship and accommodation, which means that a Finnish resident funding the traveller’s stay and/or travel will also be taken into account during the application process.
France takes the first steps towards digital visas
While there are still a few years before Schengen visas go completely paperless, France took the first step in digitisation this year. The country is working to issue around 70,000 visas online for the Olympic and Paralympic games. The system has been set up for athletes, journalists, and delegations in a bid to ensure that applications are processed in time. These digital visas will be processed on the France visas website, and the visas will be integrated into each applicant’s accreditation card.
South Korea is now issuing digital nomad visas
After all the wait in 2023, South Korea finally launched its digital nomad visa on 1 January 2024. With this visa, foreign residents can stay in the country for up to two years while working a remote job outside the country. Applicants must be able to prove an annual income of over 84.96 million won (Rs53,63,000), which is double of Korea’s gross national income per capita (42.48 million won or Rs26,81,500). The visa will also allow a spouse as well as dependents to enter the country with the digital nomad.
H1B holders can now renew their visas in the US
The United States is set to process domestic visa renewals for H-1B applications from 29 January–a first in nearly two decades. As part of the pilot program, 20,000 visa holders will be able to renew their H-1B visas while staying in the US. Half of these applicants will be Indians, while the rest will be from Canada, as only these two countries have been cleared for the program for now. The program will also cover spouses and dependents, and will be accepting applications here.
You can now work on a tourist visa in the UK
The UK government has updated its visa policy to allow travellers on tourist visas to work while visiting the country. The change in immigration rules, effective from 31 January 2024, will allow visa holders to conduct work-related activities in the UK as long as their reason to visit is tourism, visiting family, or any non work-related activity. This will include activities such as attending meetings, interviews, and conferences; site inspections; negotiations; and signing off on deals and contracts. What it will not include is remote work as a digital nomad, as those looking to visit the UK primarily for work will need to apply for a relevant skilled worker visa.
