EU Migration: Access and residence rights of non-EU nationals-EU legislation and related documents
Regular Migration
Highly Skilled Migrants (Blue Card I)
Directive 2009/50 (Blue Card I) OJ 2009 L 155/17: On conditions of entry and residence of TCNs for the purposes of highly qualified employment (implementation date 19 June 2011)
Family Reunification
Directive 2003/86 OJ 2003 L 251/12: On the right of Family Reunification (implementation date 3 October 2005)
COM(2014) 210, 3 April 2014: On guidance for application of Directive 2003/86/EC on the right to family reunification
Intra-Corporate Transferees
Directive 2014/66 OJ 2014 L 157/1: On conditions of entry and residence of TCNs in the framework of an intra-corporate transfer (implementation date 29 November 2016)
Long-Term Residents
Directive 2003/109 OJ 2004 L 16/44: Concerning the status of TCNs who are long-term residents (implementation date 23 Jan. 2006)
Directive 2011/51 OJ 2011 L 132/1 (April 2011): Long-Term Resident status for refugees and persons with subsidiary protection (implementation date 20 May 2013)
Researchers and Students
Directive 2016/801OJ 2016 L 132/21: On the conditions of entry and residence of Third-Country Nationals for the purposes of research, studies, training, voluntary service, pupil exchange schemes, educational projects and au pairing (implementation date 24 May 2018)
Seasonal Workers
Directive 2014/36 OJ 2014 L 94/375: On the conditions of entry and residence of TCNs for the purposes of seasonal employment (30 September 2016)
Single Permit
Directive 2011/98 OJ 2011 L 343/1: Single Application Procedure: for a single permit for TCNs to reside and work in the territory of a Member State and on a common set of rights for third-country workers legally residing in a Member State S implementation date (implementation date 25 December 2013)
Integration of non-EU nationals
Communication from the Commission COM (2016) 377 final: Action Plan on the integration of third country nationals (7 June 2016)
Borders and Visas
Schengen Borders Code (codified)
Regulation 2016/399 OJ 2016 L 77/1: On the rules governing the movement of persons across borders ( Codification of all previous amendments of the (Schengen) Borders Code )
Practical Handbook for Border Guards (“Schengen Handbook”)
Commission Recommendation, C (2006) 5186 final: Establishing a common "Practical Handbook for Border Guards (Schengen Handbook)" to be used by Member States' competent authorities when carrying out the border control of persons (6 November 2006, amended 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2018)
Entry/Exit System (EES)
Regulation 2017/2226 OJ 2017 L 327/20: Establishing an Entry/Exit System (EES) to register entry and exit data and refusal of entry data of third country nationals crossing the external borders
Commission Implementing Decision 2018/1547 laying down the specifications for the connection of the central access points to the Entry/Exit System (EES) and for a technical solution to facilitate the collection of data by Member States for the purpose of generating statistics on the access to the EES data for law enforcement purposes (15 October 2018)
Commission Implementing Decision 2018/1548 of laying down measures for the establishment of the list of persons identified as overstayers in the Entry-Exit System (EES) and the procedure to make that list available to Member States (15 October 2018)
European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS)
Regulation 2018/1240 OJ 2018 L 236/: Establishing a European Travel Information and Authorisation System
Visa Code
Regulation 810/2009 OJ 2009 L 243/1: Establishing a Community Code on Visas (amended d by Regulation 154/2012 (OJ 2012 L 58/3): On the relation with the Schengen acquis
Visa List II (codified)
Regulation 2018/1806 OJ 2018 L 303/39: Listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement (replaces Regulation 539/2001 “Visa List I”)
Irregular Migration
Carrier Sanctions
Directive 2001/51OJ 2001 L 187/45: Obligation of carriers to return TCNs when entry is refused (Implementation date 11 February 2003)
Employer Sanctions
Directive 2009/52 OJ 2009 L 168/24: Minimum standards on sanctions and measures against employers of illegally staying TCNs (implementation date 20 July 2011)
Returns Directive
Directive 2008/115 OJ 2008 L 348/98: On common standards and procedures in MSs for returning illegally staying third country nationals (implementation date 24 December 2010)
Trafficking Persons
Directive 2011/36 OJ 2011 L 101/1: On preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims (March 2011)
Trafficking Victims
Directive 2004/81 OJ 2004 L 261/19: Residence permits for TCNs who are victims of trafficking in human beings or who have been the subject of an action to facilitate illegal immigration, who cooperate with the competent authorities (29 April 2004)
Unauthorized Entry
Directive 2002/90 OJ 2002 L 328: Facilitation of unauthorised entry, transit and residence (28 November 2002)
Mutual Recognition of Expulsion decisions
Council Directive 2001/40/EC OJ L 149/34: on the mutual recognition of decisions on the expulsion of third country nationals (28 May 2001)
Council Decision 2004/191/EC OJ L 60/55: Setting out the criteria and practical arrangements for the compensation of the financial imbalances resulting from the application of Directive 2001/40/EC on the mutual recognition of decisions on the expulsion of third-country nationals (23 February 2004 )
Returns Directive
Directive 2008/115/EC OJ L 348/98: On common standards and procedures in Member States for returning illegally staying third-country nationals (16 December 2008)
NOTE: A full list of EU Legislation and related EU case law relating to non-EU nationals can be found on the Centre for Migration Law’s Newsletter on European Migration Issues
