Malta is introducing a raft of fresh policies impacting third-country nationals (TCNs) looking for employment or working in the nation as part of its revised Migration Policy. The first modifications will start August 1; more steps will be in effect in October.
The grace period for TCNs who lose their employment is one of the major changes. Ten days from now, employees risk deportation if they don’t locate new employment. Beginning August 1, this time will be lengthened to 30 days and perhaps to 60 days if the employee can demonstrate enough financial resources and does not depend on government support.
With sportspeople as the only exception, TCNs entering Malta on a tourist visa will no longer be permitted to apply for a work permit while in the nation. Beginning on August 1, this law would apply. Nationals from visa waiver nations, including Brazil and Colombia, will furthermore be required to apply for a work permit within 60 days of October 1.
For those in a marriage with Maltese nationals, changes will also be advantageous. Provided they can prove the legitimacy of their relationship, unmarried couples and parents of Maltese people under 23 from August will be allowed to live and work in Malta.
Work permits will also be modified. From €300 to €600, first-time applications and change-of-employer requests will double; renewal fees will fall to €150. Jobs in health, elderly care, and disability care will maintain a €150 cost for all applications.
Salary thresholds will rise for Malta’s Key Employment Initiative and Specialist Employee Initiative, which fast-track applications for highly skilled and high-earning employees. For managerial or technical roles, the annual minimum pay will grow from €35,000 to €45,000, whereas the minimum for highly qualified people with a bachelor’s degree will rise from €25,000 to €35,000.
Starting in August, work permit renewals will only be approved once Identità verifies that employees were paid their agreed-upon salaries and that the proper taxes were paid. New international workers must be paid via bank transfers or other licensed financial institutions by October, hence eliminating the use of cash payments for employment contracts.
Starting in October, human trafficking victims will be excused from application fees and given one-year renewable visas for the length of any associated court process.
These changes are part of Malta’s plan to better monitor foreign labor while protecting workers’ rights and closing persistent flaws in the system.
