South Korea Extends 5- and 10-Year Multiple-Entry Visas for Chinese Nationals
IRCC Issues 2,250 Invitations in March 31 Express Entry CEC Draw
Swiss Airports Hit by 356 Flight Disruptions in a Single Day
Latest News
India Introduces Mandatory Digital e-Arrival Card for All Foreign Travelers from 1 April 2026
From 1 April 2026 India will scrap its paper disembarkation form and require all foreign visitors—including OCI card-holders—to file an online e-Arrival Card before travel. The digital form generates a QR code that must be shown at immigration and is expected to cut clearance times in half, but travellers who forget may face delays. Corporates should update pre-trip checklists immediately.
UAE’s one-month emergency visa grace period ends, leaving thousands racing to re-enter before midnight
A month-long emergency visa grace period that let UAE residents with expired visas re-enter the country without penalties ends at midnight on 31 March 2026. Tens of thousands are scrambling to beat the deadline amid continued flight disruptions. From 1 April, normal visa-expiry fines and fresh entry-permit requirements return, raising compliance and cost risks for employers and travellers alike.
China Southern inaugurates nonstop Beijing-Daxing – Helsinki service, opening new Asia–Nordics corridor
China Southern Airlines has launched a thrice-weekly (soon daily) Boeing 787-9 service linking Beijing Daxing with Helsinki, its first route to Finland and the only nonstop connection between Northern Europe and China’s newest hub. The flight restores east-west connectivity critical for Finland’s transfer-hub strategy, offers businesses a faster door-to-door option, and is expected to accelerate the rebound of Chinese tourism and investment in Finland.
Dubai prepares for four sweeping mobility changes as residency grace, school closures and flight bans are lifted in early April
From 1–3 April 2026 Dubai will: 1) restore normal residency-permit rules as the grace period expires, 2) reopen all schools for face-to-face teaching, 3) see Air France and Turkish Airlines resume services while others stay suspended, and 4) enforce app-based banking authentication. HR, travel and finance teams should brief staff and ensure visa validity, flight bookings and mobile-banking apps are in order.
Provinces Gain More Power Under New PNP Regulations Effective 30 March 2026
Regulatory amendments that came into force on 30 March 2026 hand provinces full responsibility for deciding whether PNP nominees can establish themselves economically and intend to reside locally; IRCC officers must now rely on the provincial verdict. The change should reduce federal refusals and accelerate final approvals but will likely make provincial screenings more rigorous, affecting corporate relocation timelines.
India Offers Automatic 30-Day Visa Extension for Foreign Nationals Stranded by Middle-East Flight Disruptions
Visitors whose Indian visas expired after 28 February 2026 automatically receive a 30-day grace period, sparing them overstay fines while Middle-East airspace closures persist. Airlines have been told to accept the expired visas, and hotels to honour current rates. Corporates must brief travellers to keep proof of disrupted flights for exit formalities.
Record 393 Flight Delays at Paris-CDG Trigger Ripple-Effect Across Global Routes
Nearly 400 flights were delayed and eight cancelled at Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle between 30 and 31 March, crippling Air France’s global hub and causing knock-on delays at Heathrow, Frankfurt and beyond. The incident highlights staffing and infrastructure fragility just days before France begins full EES biometric checks, signalling that corporates should expect longer minimum-connection times and build contingency plans.
What the new wage-weighted H-1B lottery means for HR compliance in FY 2027
Beginning this H-1B cap season, USCIS weights lottery entries by prevailing-wage level, giving higher-paid roles better odds of selection. The change forces employers to integrate compensation strategy into immigration planning and heightens compliance risks if registration data don’t match final petitions.
UK visa application fees to rise by up to £222 from 8 April
From 8 April 2026 the Home Office will increase most UK visa fees, with visitor visas up £8-£69, Skilled Worker applications rising to £819, settlement visas topping £2,000 and naturalisation fees rising to £1,709. Businesses face higher mobility costs and are racing to lodge applications before the deadline, while critics say the move risks deterring international talent.