USCIS Starts Demanding New $100,000 H-1B Fee, Triggering Wave of RFEs for Indian Employers
USCIS Now Demands New $100,000 H-1B Fee in RFEs, Stunning Employers
UK’s Sweeping Immigration Reform Takes Effect on 11 November
Latest News
India Secures 175,025 Haj Slots for 2026 under New Bilateral Agreement with Saudi Arabia
India has locked in 175,025 pilgrim slots for Haj 2026 after signing a new bilateral agreement with Saudi Arabia on 9 November 2025. Early quota confirmation lets companies and tour operators secure flights and accommodation sooner, lowering costs and uncertainty for thousands of Indian travellers.
UAE tightens auditing of Green Residency freelance visas to curb misuse
The GDRFA has introduced stricter vetting for Green Residency (freelance) visa applications after uncovering limited abuse of the system. Permits are still being issued, but processing now takes up to two weeks, forcing employers to plan further ahead. The crackdown underscores the UAE’s bid to balance labour-market flexibility with robust compliance.
China Debuts ‘K-Visa’ to Lure Foreign Tech Talent
China has activated the new K-Visa for foreign science-and-technology professionals, dropping the traditional job-offer requirement and promising multi-year stays. The move seeks to fill skills gaps in AI and semiconductors and gives multinationals a faster, more flexible route to deploy talent into China’s tech hubs.
Spain Launches EU Entry/Exit System Pilot at Madrid-Barajas
Spain has switched on the EU’s Entry/Exit System at Madrid-Barajas, enrolling nearly 1,800 travellers during the four-hour pilot on 10 November 2025. The biometric process replaces passport stamping and will progressively extend to all Spanish external borders by April 2026, promising faster queues and tougher overstay detection—critical intelligence for mobility managers.
Etihad launches daily Abu Dhabi–Hong Kong flights and deepens codeshare with Hong Kong Airlines
Etihad has resumed passenger flights to Hong Kong and signed a broadened codeshare and loyalty pact with Hong Kong Airlines. The deal adds Etihad codes to HX’s Japan routes and vice versa, creating seamless Gulf-Asia connectivity and new mileage-earning opportunities. For businesses, the partnership introduces a cost-competitive one-stop option between Hong Kong and the Middle East/Africa while leveraging existing visa-free arrangements.
German Authorities Admit Uyghur Woman Wrongly Deported to China
A 56-year-old Uyghur woman was mistakenly deported from Germany to China instead of Turkey, despite internal guidance that Uyghurs should never be sent to China. She escaped onward to Istanbul, but the incident has triggered a federal inquiry and renewed calls to ban deportations to high-risk states. Global-mobility teams should expect stricter document checks and potential policy changes.
Canada exempts master’s and PhD students from federal study-permit cap starting January 2026
IRCC will remove master’s and PhD students at public institutions from Canada’s new study-permit quota as of 1 January 2026 and waive the requirement for provincial attestation letters. The move protects research talent while Ottawa proceeds with broader cuts to temporary-resident numbers. Universities, employers and graduate applicants gain faster processing and stable intake planning.
Australia tightens English-language requirements: Only in-person tests accepted from August 2025
Home Affairs has confirmed that, from 7 August 2025, only English tests taken in person at secure centres will be accepted for all Australian visa categories. Online or remote-proctored versions are excluded. Corporates and education providers must adjust timelines because applicants who plan to lodge after the cut-off will need a centre-based result.
Italy’s Lega Readies New Security-Immigration Decree, Salvini Confirms
Deputy-PM Matteo Salvini said on 10 November that the Lega has finished drafting a security-immigration decree that could be presented to cabinet within days. The text is expected to extend detention for deportees, expand repatriation centres, tighten biometric checks in visa processing and give prefects power to shut firms using irregular labour. Business groups fear slower hiring of foreign talent and harsher sanctions on supply chains.
Belgium Brings In Foreign Anti-Drone Teams After Airport Closures
Belgium has drafted in French, German and U.K. anti-drone units after rogue aircraft closed Brussels and Liège airports multiple times this week. A €50 million budget for national C-UAS hardware was also approved. The deployments aim to stabilise passenger and cargo operations but highlight new security risks for travel managers.
Ryanair threatens to slash Vienna flights unless Austria drops €12 aviation tax
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has warned that the airline will pull more aircraft from Vienna unless Austria scraps its €12 per-passenger aviation tax. He argues the levy makes Vienna uncompetitive and diverts traffic to nearby countries. The government says the tax is staying for now, putting Vienna’s low-cost connectivity – and business travel options – at risk.
U.K. Deploys RAF Specialists to Belgium Amid ‘Hybrid Warfare’ Concerns
London has dispatched Royal Air Force counter-drone teams and electronic jammers to Belgium after repeated UAV incursions closed airports. The move should bolster airport resilience but signals a higher security posture that mobility planners must track closely.
Indigenous Flotilla Reaches Belém, Testing Brazil’s Border Logistics Ahead of COP30
A 60-person flotilla of Indigenous leaders entered Brazil via Belém harbour on 9 November using the new COP30 e-visa, giving immigration authorities a live rehearsal before the climate summit’s main arrival surge. Mobile checkpoints, extra staff and upgraded IT systems cleared the group smoothly, but businesses are urged to prepare for possible bottlenecks as 50 000 delegates arrive in the days ahead.
Cyprus counts 175,000 legal migrants as irregular arrivals plummet 89%
Cyprus now hosts 175,000 legal third-country residents, while irregular arrivals have dropped 89 % since 2022. The government attributes the decline to EU-funded return schemes and new surveillance technology, and plans further digitisation ahead of its 2026 EU presidency. The data mean a more stable talent pool for employers but stricter compliance checks on work permits.
Finnair deepens Cathay Pacific partnership, opening six new Asia-Pacific connections for Finnish travellers
Effective 10 November 2025, Finnair has placed its AY code on six Cathay Pacific routes radiating from Hong Kong, giving Finnish travellers single-ticket access to Adelaide, Colombo, Jakarta, Penang, Phuket and Surabaya. The tie-up improves journey times, reduces costs for corporate mobility programmes and supports Finnair’s strategy to rebuild its Asian network despite prolonged Russian airspace closures.
Justice Department issues stricter rules for emergency re-entry visas
Ireland has tightened eligibility for emergency re-entry visas: from 10 November 2025, adults must hold immigration permission that covers their entire absence, or the application will be refused. The policy narrows discretion, forcing employers to double-check expiry dates before authorising urgent business or compassionate travel. Children under 16 remain exempt.