(Countries are listed in alphabetical order, except for those in Asia and Middle East which are under these two general headings)

For quick country access, click on initial letters below:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Netherlands

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment
home.szw.nl/navigatie/rubriek/...id=970

Family members of "knowledge migrants" are permitted to work. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment announced the change in a Press release (in Dutch) on their web site on 25 February 2005.
home.szw.nl/actueel/dsp_persbericht.cfm?jaar=2005&link_id=62870
The change applies to partners of foreign workers who earn more than Euro 46,541 per annum or Euro 34,130 under the age of 30 years. To qualify for the new conditions, companies apply to the Immigration and Naturalisation Service for 'knowledge-migrant' status for the expatriate employee.

In a section on foreigners (vreemdelingen), the Ministry also provides a detailed description in Dutch of the Law on the employment of foreigners, associated procedures and special concessions for knowledge migrants and their partners.
home.szw.nl/navigatie/rubriek/dsp_rubriek.cfm?...link_id=1930

The official text of the legislation, with rationale, is given in the Staatsblad van het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden (187 Jaargang 2005) Besluit van 17 maart 2005 tot wijziging van het Besluit uitvoering Wet arbeid vreemdelingen. This can be accessed by highlighting "staatsblad, publication date 12 April, nr. 187" in the search function of the Government publication site www.overheid.nl/op/index.html it quotes:
"Artikel 1, onderdeel C, onder 1, bevat een wijziging van de arbeidsmarktpositie van de gezinsleden van de kennismigrant. Deze arbeidsmarktpositie bepaalt voor een belangrijk deel de bereidheid van een kennismigrant om in een ander land arbeid te verrichten. Om Nederland voor kennismigranten aantrekkelijker te maken als land van vestiging, heeft het kabinet besloten dat de gezinsleden van een kennismigrant, die recht hebben op een verblijfsvergunning voor verblijf bij de kennismigrant, vrij zijn op de Nederlandse arbeidsmarkt, voor zolang zij over deze vergunning beschikken."
Translation: Article 1...concerns a change to the employment market position for the family members of the knowledge worker. This employment market position determines to an important extent the preparedness of a knowledge migrant to work in another country. To make The Netherlands more attractive.... for knowledge workers, the cabinet has decided that the family members of a knowledge migrant, who have the right of residence with the knowledge migrant, are free to work in the Dutch employment market for the duration of their residence permit."

Family members of staff in international organisations
The following international organisations have entered into a so-called 'seat agreement' with the Dutch Government regulating the legal status of the organisation and its staff.

The International Organisations concerned are: CFC; EOB; ESA/Estec; Europol; Eurocontrol; ICTR; ICTY; ICC; IGH; ISNAR; NC3A; OPCW; UNEP; UNU/INTECH

Under the terms of these agreements, the following persons are authorized to engage in gainful employment during the term of office of the members or officials of the organisation concerned.

• the spouses or registered partners of members or officials of the International organisation.
• children of members or officials who are under the age of 18.
• children of members or officials aged 18 or over, but under 28, provided that they formed part of the member’s or official’s household prior to their first entry into the Netherlands and still form part of this household, and that they are unmarried, financially dependent on the member or official concerned and are attending education in the Netherlands.

The Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND)
The IND publishes a brochure in English "Bringing a Foreign Employee to the Netherlands". Page 20 explains that family members are free to work without a work permit.
Further information and contact details are available at
www.ind.nl/en/inbedrijf/wonenenwerken/kennismigranten/contact.asp

New Zealand

Immigration New Zealand
www.immigration.govt.nz/

http://www.immigration.govt.nz/.../whataboutmypartnerorchildren.htm
"What about my partner or children? Your partner or dependent children cannot be included in your application. They will need to apply for their own Visitor's, Student or Work Visa or Permit to come to New Zealand". Page 20 of the Guide for Working in New Zealand (NZIS 1016) (PDF) covers the family stream and page 21 states:

"Partners of holders of Work Visas and Work Permits. A partner of a person holding a Work Visa or Work Permit allowing a stay in New Zealand of more than six months may apply for and be granted an open Work Visa and Work Permit for the same period as their partner. You do not need to provide an offer of employment."

The full details of the regulations, also clarifying that the application can be made while overseas are given in:
www.immigration.govt.nz/...familystream/

Immigration Information
www.emigratenz.org/

Nigeria

Federal Republic of Nigeria Embassy, Washington D.C (Consular & Immigration)
www.nigeriaembassyusa.org/visa_req.shtml

Embassy of Nigeria in The Hague - visa information
www.nigerianembassy.nl/visa.htm

Norway

Visas and Passports for Norway
www.norway.org/visas/

Philippines

The Official website of the Republic of the Philippines
FAQs on the omnibus guidelines for the issuance of employment permits to foreign nationals.
www.gov.ph/faqs/alienworkpermit.asp

Living and Working in the Philippines
http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwha006.html#Work

Poland

The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
www.poland.gov.pl/
Information on visas and work permits for foreigners is given in the section
"Foreigner in Poland"

Since 1st May 2004, a work permit is not required by citizens of EU member states and their accompanying family members.

Embassy of Poland in Washington - visa to Poland
www.polandembassy.org/Links/consular/Visas.htm

Portugal

Residence Permits for EU Nationals
www.britishembassy.gov.uk/...cid=1053700030207

Qatar

Qatar Embassy in Washington has general information on work permits
www.qatarembassy.net/Work%20Permits.asp

Explore Qatar
www.explore-qatar.com/living.php?s=1
The sub-section on Life in Qatar has information on visas and work permits

Romania

Visas & Passports
http://embassy.romania.org/visa/index.html

Romanian International Business Advisors
www.riba.ro

Russia

Migration Legislation in Russia
www.amcham.ru/doing_business/regulations_and_legislation/migration
The Director of Federal Migration published a document in February 2007 with details of migration legislation in the Russian Federation. It is available via the American Chamber of Commerce in Moscow.

VISTA Foreign Business Support
www.vfbs.ru/migration.htm
This Russian law firm in Moscow has an immigration/work permit department and provides a summary of work permit regulations.

List of Russian Embassies and Consultates
www.russianembassy.biz/
This site is sponsored by russialink, as a service to travellers to Russia, and has no connection with the Russian Government, Russian Embassies or Russian Consulates.

Singapore

The Singapore Ministry of Manpower's site gives full details and (online) procedures for the various categories of work passes for foreigners.
www.mom.gov.sg/publish/momportal/en/communities/work_pass.html

The procedures and (online) application forms for dependants of Employment Pass and S Pass holders who wish to work are given in
www.mom.gov.sg/.../employment.html

Slovakia

Embassy of the Slovak Republic in London - entry regulations and visa requirements
www.slovakembassy.co.uk/index2.htm

Slovenia

State portal of the Republic of Slovenia - permission for employment
http://e-uprava.gov.si/e-uprava/en/poslovneSituacijeStran.euprava?dogodek.id=324

Employment service of Slovenia
www.ess.gov.si/eng/Presentation/07Foreigners_datoteke/frame.htm
A presentation on Employment and Work of Foreigners and Workers from the EU.

South Africa

South African Department of Home Affairs: Services to Foreigners
www.home-affairs.gov.za/services_foreigners.asp?topic=temp

South African Government Services: Application for an intra-company transfer work permit
www.services.gov.za/intrcomptransworkpermit.aspx

Working in SA - Work permits. Advice for foreigners
www.southafrica.info/.../workpermits.htm

Spain

Immigration Legal Services
www.spain-visas.com/

Immigration to Spain
www.workpermit.com/spain/spain.htm

Sweden

Swedish Immigration Authority
www.migrationsverket.se/english.html

A note entitled "Facts about work permits" reads 'Your family, i.e. spouse/cohabitant and children under 18, can obtain residence permits for the same period as you. If you have a work permit for at least six months, your spouse/cohabitant can also obtain one for the same period.' The document is accessible at:
www.migrationsverket.se/infomaterial/bob/sokande/at/at_en.pdf

Factsheet on visas and work permits, from Invest in Sweden Agency
www.isa.se/upload/.../Visas_and_work_permits.pdf

Work permits/Visas
www.goinglobal.com/countries/sweden/permits.asp

Switzerland

Living and working in Switzerland
(official website from the Federal Office for Migration)
www.bfm.admin.ch/bfm/en/home.html
www.swissemigration.ch/themen/.../index.html?lang=en

Fragomen - visa services
pubweb.fdbl.com/.../public-country-briefs/switzerland?opendocument

Work and residence permits in Basel
www.basel.ch/en/.../working_in_basel/permits.html

Work permits for Geneva
www.geneva.ch/WelcomeGeneva3.htm

Taiwan

Department of Investment Services: Working in Taiwan
http://investintaiwan.nat.gov.tw/en/env/work.html

Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad & Tobago High Commission - Ottawa, Canada
Frequently Asked Questions: work permits
www.ttmissions.com/faq.html#work

Turkey

Turkish Embassy in London - law on work permits for foreigners
www.turkisheconomy.org.uk/investment/workpermits.htm

United Kingdom

The Border and Immigration Agency (BIA), an executive agency of the UK Home Office, gives details of all the routes open to Foreign Nationals who want to work or study in the United Kingdom.
www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/

From April 2008, the UK is starting to phase in a new 5-tier points based system which will radically change UK immigration practice and procedures, replacing around 80 different work permit and entry schemes. Details of the new scheme, which may be modified slightly during implementation, are given at
www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/command-points-based-migration?view=Binary.

The first category to be phased in is Tier 1, for highly skilled workers. At the same time, the previous Highly Skilled Migrant Programme is being phased out. Tier 2, skilled staff with a job offer, includes intra-company transferees, and will be phased in later in 2008.

The general position on family members of work permit holders is stated at www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/workpermits/workpermitholders/dependants/

"The spouse or civil partner, unmarried or same sex partner of a work permit holder will be given conditions of stay, which do not place any restrictions, other than those that would apply to a resident worker, on their taking employment or engaging in business. This normally applies when a dependant is granted more than 6 months leave to remain. However, if a dependant is granted less than 6 months leave they will not normally be allowed to take up employment. Dependants over 18 years of age have to complete their own form and pay the appropriate fee."

See also sub-sections on dependants in each of the individual categories, for example.
www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/.../employmentandswitching/
www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/overseasgovernment/dependants/

United States of America

Update on Work Authorisation procedures in the United States
Click here for update

US Citizenship and Immigration Services
http://uscis.gov/graphics/index.htm

Section 214(c)(2)(E) of the US Immigration and Nationality Act states "In the case of an alien spouse admitted under section 101(a)(15)(L)[1], who is accompanying or following to join a principal alien admitted under such section, the Attorney General shall authorize the alien spouse to engage in employment in the United States and provide the spouse with an `employment authorized' endorsement or other appropriate work permit."
The section is accessible at
http://uscis.gov/...frame.htm#publaw-pl107125 (for the spouses of inter-company transferees) and
http://uscis.gov/...frame.htm#publaw-pl107124 (for the spouses of Treaty Traders and Treaty Investors)
In line with this legislation, the US Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) uscis.gov/graphics/howdoi/ead.htm is responsible for issuing an Employment Authorization Document (work permit or proof that the holder is allowed to work in the United States.) (Form I-765 is the application for the EAD.) The list of eligible categories includes the spouses of L1 (inter-company transfers) and E1/E2 (treaty traders and investors) visa holders. The EAD will be issued within 90 days or the applicant is entitled to request a temporary EAD. The spouse does not need to meet any special conditions.
[1] Section 101(a)(15)(L) of the Act defines as a non-immigrant alien "....subject to section 214(c)(2), an alien who, within 3 years preceding the time of his application for admission into the United States, has been employed continuously for one year by a firm or corporation or other legal entity or an affiliate or subsidiary thereof and who seeks to enter the United States temporarily in order to continue to render his services to the same employer or a subsidiary or affiliate thereof in a capacity that is managerial, executive, or involves specialized knowledge, and the alien spouse and minor children of any such alien if accompanying him or following to join him".

Visa FAQs
www.visajourney.com/faq/k1faq.htm

US Dept of State - visa services
http://travel.state.gov/visa/index.html

Travel Document Systems - visa services for US citizens
www.traveldocs.com

U.S Department of Justice
www.usdoj.gov

Frequently asked Immigration Questions
www.imm-usa.com/faq.htm

American visas for investors and treat traders
www.immigration-usa.com/investor_treaty_trader_visa.html

The Immigration Superhighway
www.immigration-usa.com/i_suphwy.html

Immigration law news and information from Durrani Law Firm:
www.durrani.com

U.S. Business Visas for French Executives
www.paris-law.com/articles/us_visas.htm

Venezuela

Visa Requirements to enter Venezuela
http://www.embavenez-us.org/...%20Services