Global Mobility News from VisaHQ

The UAE has suspended the issuance of standard visit visas for most Pakistani nationals, restricting entry to diplomatic and service passport holders. The move follows concerns about visa misuse and criminal activity, and was confirmed by Pakistan’s interior ministry in Senate testimony on 27 November. The freeze disrupts travel, labour supply and corporate assignments between Pakistan and the Emirates, forcing businesses to seek alternative staffing plans.

All frontline immigration portals—including ImmiAccount and VEVO—will go dark for 15 hours from 8:30 p.m. AEDT on 28 November. Businesses must fast-track any time-critical filings, print VEVO records in advance and brace for potential knock-on delays if the maintenance window slips.

The Federal Council has decided to leave Switzerland’s 2026 work-permit quotas for non-EU/EFTA nationals unchanged at 8,500 (4,500 B and 4,000 L). The move gives companies clarity amid skills shortages and high net migration, but cantons will maintain strict labour-market tests. HR teams should file early, as 2025 quotas ran out before year-end.

Cyprus’ Transport Ministry has awarded Aegean Airlines a 12-month PSO contract to operate direct Larnaca–Brussels flights from 1 December 2025, capped at €400 one-way. The service will scale between two and five weekly rotations to cover the island’s upcoming EU Council Presidency, restoring non-stop access to EU institutions for officials and business travellers.

Belgium’s 2026 budget will double the flight-ticket tax to €10 for every departing passenger from 1 January 2027. Airlines say travellers — including business flyers — will bear the cost, and some warn of potential capacity cuts. Companies should budget for higher air-travel expenses and review routing strategies.

Indian and Russian negotiators say they are days away from finalising a visa-free scheme for organised tourist groups. The waiver would cut costs and paperwork for Indian travellers, potentially doubling visitor numbers and boosting MICE traffic and airline load factors. The pact is expected to be unveiled at the Delhi summit next week, alongside talks on RuPay-Mir payment integration.

An EMEA bulletin confirms Switzerland’s 2026 work-permit numbers and reveals that the Swiss-UK Services Mobility Agreement has been prolonged until the end of 2029. British professionals can keep delivering services in Switzerland visa-free for up to 90 days per year, while Swiss suppliers enjoy the same access in the UK. The move removes a major risk for 2026 project planning but increases the need for precise day-count tracking.

USCIS and ICE have been ordered to re-screen millions of green-card holders from 19 “countries of concern,” with potential deportation for any cases deemed fraudulent or risky. The sweeping review injects uncertainty into long-settled immigrant communities and threatens to slow routine benefit processing for all employers.

Beijing says foreign arrivals using visa-waiver or transit-waiver channels have surged 35 % this year, thanks to an expanded list of 65 eligible entry ports and 48 visa-free countries. The boom is lifting traffic at airports and seaports nationwide and giving multinationals greater flexibility for short-notice travel into China.

Travel agents report that up to four out of five first-time UAE visit-visa applications from Pakistan are being rejected, reflecting intensified risk screening. The trend disrupts corporate travel plans and forces companies to reroute regional assignments, adding cost and time. Applicants are advised to bolster financial and itinerary evidence, but approvals are likely to remain limited until bilateral talks ease restrictions.

Britain’s net migration collapse is being driven by a sharp rise in departures—led by 74,000 Indians—after tougher salary rules and dependants bans. Indian firms may face costlier, slower transfers, while returnees swell the skilled workforce at home. UK ministers hail the drop, but industry bodies fear skills gaps and slower growth.

A decree published 27 November lets Brazilians registered in Italy’s AIRE bypass annual work-permit quotas and apply directly for residence, paving a faster route to Italian citizenship. The move affects more than 680,000 people and eases intra-EU mobility for Brazilian talent, while reducing administrative friction for employers.

Home Affairs has urged 2026 student-visa applicants to file early and with complete documentation, citing surging volumes and a tougher triage regime. Universities and employers that depend on timely student and dependant visas should front-load compliance checks and allow longer lead-times.