Global Mobility News from VisaHQ

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood confirmed on 8 Nov that the UK will copy key elements of Denmark’s restrictive asylum and family-reunion regime, including a longer wait for settlement and stricter reunion tests. The plan has ignited a Labour Party row but signals a decisive tightening of the post-Brexit system. Business travellers and HR teams face higher compliance costs if settlement clocks are extended and if new financial guarantees are introduced.

A customs-IT crash at 14:05 on 8 November forced all Ukraine-Poland road crossings to suspend processing in both directions. Travellers and freight traffic were stranded, with queues reported at Uhryniv, Hrushiv and Shehyni. The disruption hit business travellers, just-in-time supply chains and commuter coaches, underscoring the need for better system redundancy ahead of the EU’s forthcoming Entry/Exit rollout.

A French anti-drone detachment joined German forces in Belgium on 8 November, reinforcing efforts to protect Belgian airports after a week of disruptive drone sightings. The Franco-German deployment signals a shift toward proactive regional air-security and should reduce the risk of sudden flight suspensions that have rattled airlines, cargo operators and business travellers.

Facing severe air-traffic-controller shortages during the government shutdown, the FAA on Nov 7 ordered airlines to cut 4 % of domestic flights at 40 large U.S. airports, with a 10 % cut slated for Nov 14 if funding isn’t restored. The move immediately disrupts business travel, squeezes seat supply ahead of the holidays, and forces companies to re-think itineraries and logistics.

IRCC’s 2026–2028 plan keeps permanent-resident targets flat at 380,000 but slashes new temporary resident admissions by 45 % next year, with equally steep cuts for students (-49 %) and foreign workers (-37 %). The shift will tighten hiring pipelines for employers who depend on quick work permits and reduce international-student revenues for schools, while emphasising pathways that convert existing talent to permanent status. Companies should audit foreign-talent needs and secure LMIA-based permits before quotas reset in January 2026.

A software failure in Delhi’s Air Traffic Control centre on 7 November grounded India’s busiest airport, delaying more than 200 flights and rippling across airline networks. The disruption hit business travellers at the start of the high-season and exposed infrastructure gaps that mobility managers must now factor into scheduling and duty-of-care plans.

On 7 November, the National Immigration Administration confirmed that its 30-day, unilateral visa-free scheme for 44 countries will run until 31 December 2026 and that Sweden will be added on 10 November 2025. The extension removes visa lead-times for thousands of business travellers and underlines Beijing’s commitment to facilitating inbound mobility.

On 6 November the National Immigration Administration launched 10 new immigration facilitation measures. Key items include expanding the Talent Exit-Endorsement nationwide, allowing mainlanders to apply for Taiwan family-visit permits anywhere, and rolling out facial-recognition e-gates at 20+ ports. The package sharply reduces paperwork and wait-times for business travellers and supports China’s push to attract and retain global talent.

Canada’s new three-year immigration plan, released 5 Nov 2025, freezes permanent-resident targets at 380,000 but halves study-permit admissions and cuts temporary-worker quotas by more than one-third. The policy aims to curb population pressures while funnelling more PR spots to economic and French-speaking talent—key information for employers and universities that depend on foreign nationals.

Peers approved several tough amendments to the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill on 5 November, including a one-week duty to deport illegal arrivals and new reporting on student-visa breaches. If upheld by MPs, the measures will accelerate removals, limit Home Office discretion and ratchet up compliance pressure on universities and employers.

Effective 5 November 2025, five ports in Guangdong—including the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge and West Kowloon rail station—were added to China’s 240-hour visa-free transit scheme, raising the number of eligible entry points to 65. The change makes it easier for travellers from 55 countries to enter southern China without a pre-arranged visa, a boon for business events in the Pearl River Delta.

The FAA says it will begin reducing flight operations by up to 10 % at 40 high-volume U.S. airports starting November 7 if the government shutdown continues. The phased cuts target domestic passenger, cargo, and private flights to relieve unpaid, short-staffed air-traffic controllers. Businesses face significant travel disruption and may need to delay assignments or shift to virtual meetings.

On Nov 4 the U.S. shutdown hit day 35, making it the longest in history. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the FAA will slash capacity at 40 major airports starting Nov 7, citing unpaid controller shortages that are already causing hours-long delays. The looming cuts threaten Thanksgiving travel, disrupt expatriate moves and stall airport modernization projects.

Beijing announced on 4 November 2025 that visa-free entry for Austrian passport-holders will be extended until 31 December 2026 and supplemented by a new optional digital arrival card. The decision slashes red-tape for business travellers and is expected to boost both corporate and leisure traffic between Austria and China.

Beijing has extended its 30-day unilateral visa-free scheme for 40+ countries until 31 December 2026 and will add Sweden on 10 November 2025. The decision removes visa lead-times for most short-term business and tourist trips, supporting exhibition attendance, supplier audits and client meetings throughout 2026. Mobility teams should update travel policies and booking tools accordingly.

Cyprus used its ‘Amalthea’ maritime corridor on 4 November to send 940 tonnes of relief supplies to Gaza, bringing total deliveries above 27,000 tonnes. The operation, run with the UAE and UNOPS, underscores Cyprus’ emergence as a regional logistics and mobility hub and is prompting plans for a dedicated humanitarian-visa category.

Beijing has expanded its ‘talent exit endorsement’ nationwide and added four Hong Kong-linked control points to China’s 240-hour visa-free transit scheme, while also introducing document-free facial-recognition e-gates at key Shenzhen border crossings. The moves, welcomed by the HKSAR Government, are set to ease travel for mainland professionals and international visitors alike, bolstering Hong Kong’s role as a talent and transit hub.

A rogue drone over Brussels-Zaventem forced a blanket suspension of flights on 4 November 2025, stranding about 25,000 passengers and disrupting corporate travel across Europe. The incident exposes gaps in Belgium’s counter-drone capabilities and signals a higher operational-risk environment for mobility planners.

On 3 November Emirates unveiled a AED 85 million programme to install more than 200 facial-recognition cameras throughout Dubai International’s Terminal 3. Opt-in travellers will be able to move from curb to gate without showing passports or boarding passes, cutting processing times by up to 80 %. The project, delivered with the GDRFAD, strengthens Dubai’s position as a high-throughput global hub and gives corporate travel managers new options for tighter connections and productivity gains.