Global Mobility News from VisaHQ

Effective 8 January, India has been placed in Evidence Level 3—the highest-risk category—in Australia’s student-visa framework, requiring Indian applicants to meet tougher financial and English-language thresholds. Universities and corporate sponsors should expect slower processing and higher refusal rates, with knock-on effects for graduate-trainee hiring.

The UK’s ETA scheme is now fully live, meaning HKSAR and BNO passport holders must obtain a £16 digital travel authorisation before boarding transport to Britain. Processing is usually instant but can take up to 72 hours, and carriers face fines for non-compliance. Hong Kong businesses will need to update travel policies, educate staff and adjust lead times for UK trips.

A draft International Protection Bill would force recognised refugees to wait three years before sponsoring spouses or children. The measure, unveiled in a Cabinet memo, is part of a wider plan to speed asylum processing and removals ahead of new EU rules. Employers and NGOs say it could hinder talent retention and prolong family separation.

Switzerland has frozen its 2026 work-permit ceilings at 2025 levels—8,500 permits for third-country nationals plus separate quotas for EU/EFTA service providers and UK citizens. The continuity gives employers early-year certainty, but lawyers still urge prompt filings because unused 2025 quota does not carry forward. The decision buys time while wider immigration reforms—and possible new EU talks—remain in flux.

From 1 January 2026 all Polish residence-permit applications must be filed online via the MOS portal; paper submissions are invalid. At the same time, government fees have quadrupled. The change demands urgent workflow and budget updates for HR teams, and failure to adapt could leave foreign staff out of status.

Germany has removed the airport-transit-visa requirement for Indian passport holders, effective 12 Jan 2026. The move will slash costs and paperwork for business and leisure travellers routing through German hubs and could boost India-Germany passenger flows by double digits.

Emirates and FlyDubai halted most services to Iran over the weekend (11-12 January) after nationwide protests forced airports to cancel 46 flights. The suspension disrupts a key corridor for UAE-based businesses and could last a week, pushing travellers onto longer Doha or Muscat routings and raising costs for mobility programmes.

A severe Arctic cold wave forced 26 flight cancellations and 161 delays on 12 January, crippling operations at Helsinki-Vantaa and Kittilä airports. Finnair shouldered most disruptions, with partner KLM also affected. The freeze highlights vulnerabilities in Finland’s regional airport infrastructure and poses immediate headaches for business-travel planners.

People’s Daily reports a sharp rise in foreign arrivals during the New-Year holiday, crediting China’s newly extended visa-free policies for 40-plus countries. Early data from Qunar and Trip.com show bookings by non-Chinese passport holders up nearly 40 % year-on-year, with Hainan and second-tier mainland destinations the biggest winners. The surge signals a faster-than-expected recovery for China’s inbound tourism and lowers the friction of corporate travel and project work.

A pre-dawn blizzard forced Frankfurt Airport to cancel roughly 10 % of Monday’s flights and delay hundreds more, disrupting global connections for business travellers and high-value freight. With aircraft and crews out of position, residual disruption is expected for several days, highlighting the need for robust contingency planning by mobility and supply-chain teams.

A storm-related power cut disabled the radar serving Birmingham Airport overnight, forcing NATS to suspend arrivals and divert more than twenty flights. Services resumed after four hours, but the disruption underlines the vulnerability of UK air-traffic infrastructure and the need for corporate travellers to maintain contingency plans.

The Albanese Government has recalled parliament for 19–20 January to rush through a bill that combines Australia’s toughest hate-speech laws, a major gun buy-back, and new powers to cancel or refuse visas for people who promote racial hatred. Businesses will need stronger vetting of foreign speakers and mobile talent because the hate-speech threshold for visa refusal will be lowered. If enacted, the rules could take effect before the March travel peak, directly affecting corporate mobility programmes.

Sixty tractors blockaded Ostend Airport’s cargo gates on 12 January, extending Belgian farmers’ protest against the EU-Mercosur trade pact. Passenger access remains possible but delays of up to 40 minutes are expected. The action threatens time-critical freight flows and highlights escalating social-risk factors for corporate mobility programmes.

Effective immediately, Austria has increased the monthly income applicants must show for the Residence Permit – Without Gainful Employment to €1 273.99 (single) and €2 009.85 (couple). The higher bar will apply even to in-process files, so HR teams and private applicants may need to update financial evidence and build extra lead-time into relocation plans.