Immigration rule changes in 2021
15 dated rule changes recorded in 2021, from 2021-01-01 to 2021-10-01. Each item links to the programme page and the official source we recorded it from. This is a record of what we captured, not a complete legislative history.
← All updates & policy changes
October 2021 (2)
UK Ancestry Visa / British National (Overseas) — BN(O): Post-Brexit, EU/EEA citizens lost free movement rights to the UK. Commonwealth citizens with UK-born grandparents became relatively more attractive candidates for the UK Ancestry visa route as a structured path to UK settlement, as EU nationals no longer have a free-movement alternative.
source →Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H): Major MM2H revision raised minimum fixed deposit from RM 150,000-300,000 to RM 1,000,000, and income requirement from RM 10,000/mo to RM 40,000/mo. Caused widespread non-compliance among existing holders. 2022 partially revised downward.
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August 2021 (4)
Panama Friendly Nations Visa: Executive Decree 197 tightened Friendly Nations — replaced "professional activity" proof with fixed options: employment contract, $200k+ real estate, or $200k+ bank deposit.
source →German Citizenship by Descent (§ 4 StAG / Restoration under Art. 116 GG): The Second Act Amending the Basic Law Citizenship Restoration Act expanded Art. 116(2) GG eligibility to include maternal-line descendants, out-of-wedlock children of German fathers, and women who lost German citizenship by marrying a foreign national before 1953 — all previously excluded categories.
source →German Citizenship Restoration under StAG § 15 (Nazi-Era Persecution Descendants): StAG § 15 entered into force, converting Germany's prior declaratory, non-binding practice for descendants of Nazi-persecution victims into a full legal entitlement, and eliminating several restrictive conditions that had previously excluded matrilineal descendants and those affected by pre-1953 gender-based nationality rules.
source →Mexican Citizenship by Descent (Article 30 §II Constitution): Mexico amended Article 30 of the Constitution to expand recognition of Mexican nationality by birth, including some interpretations extending recognition to grandchildren of Mexican-born nationals. Implementation varies by consulate.
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July 2021 (2)
India Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) Card: The Government of India amended OCI regulations to require OCI cardholders to obtain prior permission from the Ministry of Home Affairs for certain activities including research, missionary work, journalism, and mountaineering in protected areas. Ordinary residence, tourism, employment in the private sector, and study were unaffected.
source →UK Graduate Route Visa: Graduate Route launched, reopening unsponsored post-study work rights in the UK for the first time since the original Tier 1 Post-Study Work route closed in 2012.
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June 2021 (1)
Italian Citizenship by Descent (Jure Sanguinis): Italy ended visa-free access for applicants during consular proceedings; waiting periods for consular appointments in the US reached 5–10 years in high-demand districts (New York, Chicago, Los Angeles), accelerating use of the Italian court route.
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April 2021 (2)
Bulgarian Citizenship by Origin (Repatriation): Bulgaria tightened the documentary standard for proof of Bulgarian origin, raising the evidentiary bar for Certificate of Bulgarian Origin applications. Previous practice of relying on declarations from Bulgarian community organisations alone was curtailed.
source →Overseas Citizen of India (OCI): MHA issued clarification narrowing OCI rights of access to certain restricted protected areas (Andaman, parts of NE India, Sikkim) — OCI holders now require additional permits previously not needed.
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March 2021 (1)
UAE Virtual Working Programme (Remote Work Visa): Dubai Virtual Working Programme launched, making Dubai one of the first Gulf destinations to offer a formal remote work visa for employees of foreign companies.
United Arab Emirates rule changes
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January 2021 (3)
North Macedonia Citizenship by Investment: North Macedonia standardised investor naturalisation into the current two-track structure (EUR 200,000 fund donation, or EUR 400,000 direct investment with job-creation requirements) under the existing Law on Citizenship's discretionary-naturalisation provisions (Articles 9 and 11).
source →Polish Citizenship by Descent (Confirmation of Polish Citizenship): Poland's updated administrative guidelines clarified that voluntary naturalization in a foreign country before 1951 generally caused automatic loss of Polish citizenship under the 1920 Citizenship Act, but that naturalization after 1951 under the 1951 Citizenship Act required an explicit release from Polish citizenship — meaning many post-1951 emigrants may have retained Polish citizenship unknowingly.
source →Singapore Tech.Pass: Tech.Pass launched by EDB with an initial cap of 500 places, targeting senior tech leaders, founders, and investors as part of Singapore's push to attract top global tech talent.
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