Spain activates EU Entry/Exit System, ending passport stamps for non-EU travellers
Europe activates biometric Entry/Exit System—Australian travellers warned to expect border queues
Italy Switches On EU Entry/Exit System: Biometric Border Checks Replace Passport Stamps
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Biometric Glitches Stall EU’s New Entry/Exit System at UK–France Border
The EU switched on its digital Entry/Exit System on 10 April, but technical failures at Dover, Folkestone and St Pancras forced French officials to suspend biometric checks and return to manual passport stamping. Delays of up to 90 minutes are expected during the interim “light phase”, affecting business schedules and logistics costs. Engineers aim to restore full biometric processing later this spring.
Home Office Tightens Sponsorship Rules and Hikes Fees—What Employers Must Do Now
New Home Office guidance adds an evidential sponsor duty to prove foreign staff understand UK employment rights, raises most immigration and citizenship fees, and sets temporary boarding concessions for dual nationals in the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) era.
Schengen Entry/Exit System Goes Live, Transforming Swiss Border Checks
Switzerland began using the EU’s new Entry/Exit System on 10 April 2026. All non-EU short-stay visitors now submit fingerprints and a facial scan, giving border officials instant overstay data and replacing passport stamps. While the upgrade promises faster, more secure checks, Swiss airports experienced longer queues during the first 24 hours, and companies are urging travellers to allow extra time.
Poland becomes first EU state to complete Entry/Exit System rollout
Poland has activated the EU’s biometric Entry/Exit System at every one of its border crossings, making it the first member state with 100 % coverage. The move introduces automated stay-counting and real-time over-stay alerts, with more than 6,500 refusals of entry already recorded. Business travellers will face longer first-time processing but faster repeat crossings, while employers must tighten compliance to avoid penalties.
Ottawa unveils sweeping Express Entry overhaul that shifts points to earnings and job offers
IRCC has released detailed proposals—dated 10 April 2026—to fold all three Express Entry streams into a single class and overhaul the CRS. Points would shift away from Canadian study and French ability toward high-wage occupations and job offers, while minimum eligibility would be standardised. The reform would fundamentally change how employers and candidates position themselves in Canada’s flagship economic-immigration system.
Austria Activates EU Entry/Exit System, Launching Full Biometric Border Controls
From 10 April 2026 Austria fully replaced passport stamps with the EU Entry/Exit System, collecting fingerprints and facial images from all non-EU short-stay visitors at external borders. The change gives employers and travellers a digital record of days spent in Schengen, streamlines compliance checks and marks the first step toward a fully digital EU border. Companies should brief business travellers on the new enrolment step and expect slightly longer first-time processing times.
Spanish airports call for emergency flexibility after first-day EES queues hit three hours
On EES launch day, long queues at Spanish airports forced some flights to depart with dozens of empty seats. ACI Europe and major airlines are asking the EU to let border police suspend mandatory biometrics when lines exceed acceptable limits. Companies should build extra buffer time into itineraries until throughput stabilises.
France Ushers In Digital Borders as EU Entry/Exit System Goes Live
France activated the EU’s Entry/Exit System on 10 April 2026, replacing manual passport stamps with biometric registration for non-EU short-stay visitors. Holders of French long-stay visas and residence permits are exempt. The move is designed to tighten border security and pave the way for ETIAS, but companies should warn travellers that their first post-launch arrival could take a minute or more longer than before.
USCIS hits H-2B visa cap for FY26 summer season, releases 46,000 supplemental visas
USCIS confirmed on April 10 that it has exhausted the 33,000 H-2B visas for jobs beginning April–September 2026. To ease summer labor shortfalls, the agency is releasing 46,226 supplemental visas tied to returning workers and specific countries, but petitions must be filed within tight April and May windows. The announcement offers relief to hospitality and landscaping firms yet imposes urgent compliance and recruitment timelines.
One-day cabin-crew strike on 10 April strands 100,000 passengers as Lufthansa scrambles to restore schedule
A one-day strike by Lufthansa cabin crew on 10 April forced the cancellation of 520+ flights and stranded around 100,000 passengers during the Easter return rush. Long-haul services were partly protected, but Germany’s domestic and European network collapsed, exposing corporates to extra costs and complicating travel schedules into the weekend.
Queues Stretch Past Immigration Halls as French Airports Face EES Day-One Crunch
Long waits hit France’s major airports on 10-11 April as the new biometric border system processed its first wave of travellers. Airlines are lengthening minimum connection times, and mobility managers are warning employees to allow extra buffer when transiting Paris and other French hubs.