On 19 April, the Lower House of the Czech Parliament (i.e., the Chamber of Deputies) approved major amendments to the Act on the Residence of Foreigner Nationals, the Asylum Act and other related laws that would impact the immigration process for third-country nationals, including those who apply for Blue Cards. The amendments will now move to the Senate for review. The proposed amendments include the following potential changes to the rules governing the Czech Republic’s issuance of Blue Cards (i) all Blue Cards would be issued with an initial validity of up to three years (up from two years currently), (ii) Certain categories of applicants (e.g., those who have held a Blue Card issued by another EU Member State for at least two years) would be exempt from the requirement to prove that they hold a degree/diploma from a qualifying university or vocational educational program.
A Tax Alert prepared by EY's People Advisory Services group, and attached below, provides additional details.
