Global Mobility News from VisaHQ

On 15 November, Beijing issued a rare travel advisory urging Chinese citizens to stay away from Japan after Tokyo’s new prime minister suggested Japan could intervene in a Taiwan conflict. The move, which drew an immediate protest from Tokyo, threatens to hit Japan’s tourism-dependent sectors and complicates business travel just ahead of the peak winter season.

The Ministry of the Interior’s Q3 bulletin shows 1.107 million foreign nationals legally living in Czechia, up 1.5 % since June. More than half are Ukrainians under temporary protection, while Prague hosts one-third of all foreigners. The data highlight Czech firms’ dependence on non-EU labour and strengthen the government’s case for EU migration-cost exemptions.

Ministerial Direction 115, effective 14 November, ranks Australian student-visa files by the risk rating of the education provider, introducing higher fees and tighter onshore rules. Indian applicants will see faster or slower outcomes depending on their chosen university, pushing counsellors and employers to prioritise low-risk institutions.

Canada’s 2025 budget will cut temporary-resident admissions by nearly 300,000 starting in 2026 and trim permanent-resident targets slightly. Ottawa says the move will relieve housing and service pressures, but businesses fear deeper labour shortages.

The Home Secretary will introduce legislation that scraps automatic permanent residence for most refugees and replaces it with renewable 30-month permits. The move aims to deter irregular arrivals but will create major operational and integration challenges for employers and local authorities.

Palma Airport will flip the switch on the EU’s biometric Entry/Exit System on 19 November, requiring UK and other non-EU travellers to register fingerprints and facial data instead of getting a passport stamp. The move tightens enforcement of the 90-day rule and foreshadows the coming ETIAS travel authorisation, creating new compliance points for business travellers and their employers.

After Beijing’s 14 November safety notice, Air China, China Eastern, China Southern and four other mainland carriers introduced free change and refund options for all Japan-bound tickets issued before 15 November, covering travel until year-end. The waivers help businesses avoid sudden cost spikes but signal how quickly geopolitical tension can disrupt East Asia flight schedules.

Ministerial Direction 115, in force from 14 November 2025, creates permanent fast, standard and slow lanes for offshore student-visa files linked to how closely each institution sticks to government enrolment quotas. Providers that over-enrol face nine-to-twelve-week processing times, while compliant schools can still expect decisions in as little as one week. The change aims to curb rental-market stress and push growth into regional campuses, but it will require corporates and education agents to rethink timeline planning for 2026 intakes.

The CGT has urged foreign workers and their supporters to demonstrate nationwide on 15 November over long delays in residence-permit processing. The union says backlogs are jeopardising jobs and social rights and is calling for emergency staffing and clearer regularisation rules. The action signals mounting operational risks for employers that depend on migrant labour and could influence the upcoming immigration-law debate.

The D.C. Circuit stayed a DOT rule that would have barred most immigrants from holding or renewing U.S. commercial driver’s licenses, citing likely APA violations and weak safety evidence. The pause averts large-scale license cancellations and gives employers breathing room, but the underlying legal battle continues.

Brazil tightened both air-navigation rules and downtown traffic cordons in Belém on 14 November as COP30 enters its decisive week. PPR slots are now mandatory at Val-de-Cans Airport and multi-layer no-fly zones ring the summit site, while road checkpoints are adding up to 90 minutes to hotel-venue transfers. Companies moving executives, cargo or media crews should build in extra buffer time and reconfirm slots frequently.

Finnish border officials have detained five suspects after uncovering a visa-for-profit racket run by two forestry companies that lured some 180 foreign workers with false job promises. The probe signals aggressive enforcement against employers who game Finland’s residence-permit system.

Washington and Bern have struck a framework deal to cut U.S. tariffs on Swiss goods to 15 %, in exchange for Swiss companies investing US$200 billion in U.S. plants by 2028. The move revives price competitiveness, will fuel new cross-border assignments and removes a key uncertainty for corporate mobility budgets.

From 15 November 2025, Nepalese passport holders can transit air-side at Hong Kong International Airport without obtaining a visa. The measure eliminates a four-week paperwork requirement, cuts costs for airlines and employers, and boosts HKIA’s hub competitiveness along South-Asian routes.

Multiple unions representing air-traffic controllers, easyJet and Volotea crews and Rome’s ATAC transit workers staged coordinated strikes on 14 November, disrupting flights at all 45 Italian airports and crippling public transport in the capital. Business travellers should expect residual delays through the weekend and consider alternative routings. The dispute centres on pay, staffing and union recognition; further action is possible in December.

The Government’s flagship Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill has finished Lords scrutiny. Key points for business include a 48-hour advance-passenger-data requirement and sharply higher employer penalties for illegal working, likely to take effect in 2026.

The MEA has finished converting India’s passport system to chip-enabled e-passports. All new and renewed booklets now carry a secure RFID chip, speeding immigration and tightening fraud controls, while existing passports stay valid until expiry. Corporations should expect quicker issuance times and prepare travellers for e-gate use.

Ontario has halted its Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream after finding widespread fraud. No new applications will be accepted and pending files will be returned. Employers and candidates must pivot to other pathways, highlighting Canada’s growing emphasis on program integrity.

Registrations for Australia’s 2025-26 MATES early-career mobility ballot opened on 14 November 2025, offering 3,000 Indian graduates a two-year open work visa with full employment rights. The scheme provides employers with a streamlined, low-cost channel for STEM and tech talent while reinforcing Canberra’s focus on temporary, circular migration.