Global Mobility News from VisaHQ

Verdi has announced a 48-hour nationwide strike of city buses, trams and urban trains on 27–28 February, threatening severe disruption for commuters and business travellers. Long-distance rail and flights will run, but spill-over congestion is likely. Companies should activate travel-risk and remote-work contingencies.

Belgium’s top court has frozen new two-year waiting periods and higher income thresholds for family reunification, saying they likely breach EU law. The suspension forces authorities to apply the previous, more lenient rules while the European Court of Justice reviews the case. Corporations and NGOs expect faster processing for affected families and advise employers to reassess any refusals issued since last August.

Spain, the UK and the EU have published the 1,000-page treaty that will eliminate Gibraltar’s hard land border and place Spanish (Schengen) officers in charge of air- and sea-entry checks. Spain will be able to refuse non-EU travellers, including some Britons, while Gibraltar residents gain Schengen-wide mobility. Businesses should prepare for new document checks and the end of Gibraltar’s VAT-free status.

From 1 March 2026, holders of Hong Kong employment-based visas (GEP, ASMTP, STEM, QMAS, non-local graduate and second-generation schemes) can submit renewal applications up to three months before expiry instead of the previous four-week window. The change aligns these categories with the Top Talent Pass Scheme, reduces compliance risk for employers and gives assignees greater travel flexibility.

A 24-hour strike by airline crews and ground staff on 26 February forced roughly 300 flight cancellations nationwide, hitting Rome and Milan hardest. With 87 % worker participation, unions signalled escalating frustration over a stalled collective contract. The action foreshadows a 24-hour national rail strike starting 27 February, amplifying mobility risk for businesses.

DHS has proposed requiring asylum applicants to wait a full year – instead of 150 days – before filing for work permits, and allowing the agency to suspend new filings altogether when asylum backlogs grow. Employers that rely on asylum-based EADs could face lengthy onboarding delays and workforce gaps. The business community is expected to push back hard during the 60-day comment period.

Henley & Partners’ 2026 index places the UAE joint-second globally for residence-by-investment programmes, crediting easier Golden Visa rules, tax efficiency and quick processing. The upgrade makes the Emirates a stronger competitor to European schemes and offers corporates new options for relocating executives at lower tax cost.

Effective 24 February 2026, citizens of China, Denmark, France, Hungary, Ireland, Jamaica, Saint Lucia and the Bahamas can enter Brazil visa-free for stays of up to 30 days. The policy is reciprocal only for China and unilateral for the others, and it is expected to boost visitor numbers and conference travel. Companies should adjust travel-compliance guidelines, as the waiver does not cover work authorisations.

Wallonia, Brussels and—soon—Flanders have issued higher minimum-salary thresholds that foreign workers must earn to secure Belgian work or single permits in 2026. Failure to comply could see applications rejected or employers fined, so multinational HR teams should update offer letters and budgets immediately.

The Core and Specialist Skills Income Thresholds – the salary floors that underpin Australia’s key employer-sponsored visas – will automatically rise on 1 July 2026 to AUD 79,499 and AUD 146,717 respectively. The change affects all new Subclass 482 and 186 nominations lodged on or after that date, forcing employers to reassess budgets and timing for overseas hires.

A new Parliamentary Budget Officer report says Canada’s population will likely stay flat in 2026 as Ottawa slashes new temporary work and study visas. The non-permanent resident population is forecast to plunge by 385,000, negating the arrival of 380,000 new permanent residents. Employers that depend on temporary foreign workers and international students face an immediate talent squeeze, while economists warn of ripple effects on housing and consumer demand.

From 25 February, all visa-exempt travellers—including Emiratis—must hold a UK ETA, but dual British-UAE nationals face an added requirement to travel on a British passport or a pricey Certificate of Entitlement. Employers should expect longer lead times and potential cost increases for UK-bound travel.

Rzeszów-Jasionka and Lublin airports were shut for several hours on 26 February while Poland scrambled fighters in response to Russian strikes on Ukraine. Flights were delayed or diverted but operations later resumed. The episode highlights the need for robust contingency planning for travel and logistics in south-eastern Poland.

Effective 25 February 2026, the UK has stopped issuing physical visa stickers to Indian nationals; all permissions are now delivered as digital eVisas accessible via a UKVI online account. The reform speeds up passport return, simplifies employer checks and is a milestone in the UK’s push for a fully digital border.