Global Mobility News from VisaHQ

A fire on 20 November forced the evacuation of the entire COP30 Blue Zone in Belém. No one was hurt, but negotiations were halted just two days before the summit’s scheduled close, creating logistical headaches for more than 30,000 delegates and their employers. Mobility managers should expect schedule extensions, possible venue changes and stricter security screenings.

China’s National Immigration Administration switched to a nationwide online arrival-card system for foreign visitors on 20 November, letting travellers submit entry information on mobile platforms before boarding. The measure, part of ten new facilitation policies, cut clearance times at major airports on day one and reduces paperwork for business travellers. It marks another step in China’s push toward fully digital, contact-free border controls.

The Federal Council has frozen Switzerland’s 2026 immigration quotas at 2025 levels, giving employers 4 000 L-permits and 4 500 B-permits for third-country nationals, plus unchanged allowances for EU/EFTA service providers and UK citizens. Utilisation rates below 60 % convinced the government that stability—not expansion—best serves business needs while containing political risk. HR teams gain predictability but should still file early, as quarterly service-provider quotas often deplete fastest.

Deputy Migration Minister Nicholas Ioannides says Cyprus has finished the technical work to join the Schengen Area and expects the EU’s evaluation mission to approve accession in 2025, paving the way for political endorsement in 2026. For companies, Schengen membership would abolish routine passport checks on Cyprus–EU routes, shorten transfer times and simplify short-term business travel. The move would also align with the island’s EU Council presidency, giving Nicosia extra leverage to secure support from other member states.

Effective 20 November 2025, Spain has increased by 25 % the income employees must show to sponsor their parents for residence, and it now demands stronger proof of financial or medical dependency. Companies must update mobility budgets and documentation immediately or risk refusals.

Ireland’s new three-year Justice Strategy, released on 20 November 2025, prioritises faster digital processing for work permits and visas, full alignment with the EU Migration and Asylum Pact and tougher enforcement against overstays. Businesses should prepare for quicker but more data-driven compliance checks and evolving application portals.

IRCC’s latest inventory snapshot shows 2.2 million immigration files in process and nearly one million exceeding service standards. Temporary-residence categories and study permits are most affected, signalling protracted processing times for employers, students and families through 2026.

From 20 November, 100 Chinese ports can issue one-time Mainland Travel Permits to Taiwan residents on arrival, up from 58. The expansion covers 56 airports and nearly all major seaports and land crossings, slashing detours and wait times for last-minute cross-strait business trips.

Effective 14 November 2025, Ministerial Direction 115 links student-visa processing speed to how closely each provider keeps within its enrolment allocation. The measure is designed to slow growth in crowded city campuses, reward compliant institutions and shore up integrity while maintaining the value of Australia’s international-education sector. Mobility teams should prepare for possible delays if partnering with institutions that exceed their caps.

DHS has published inflation-linked increases to three border‐immigration fees that take effect 1 January 2026. The cost of ESTA, EVUS and humanitarian parole applications will each rise slightly, affecting Visa Waiver and Chinese B-visa travelers as well as companies that use parole to move specialists quickly into the United States. Employers have six weeks to renew at 2025 prices before the new fees become mandatory.

The cabinet’s 20 November decree creates a six-month, renewable residence permit for victims of labour exploitation who cooperate with prosecutors. The permit is quota-exempt, grants full labour-market access and an inclusion allowance, and tightens compliance obligations for employers. Companies must review supply-chain practices or risk losing future hiring privileges under Italy’s Flussi quota system.

The Home Office has released details of an “Earned Settlement” system that doubles the standard qualifying time for permanent residence to 10 years and withholds most benefits until migrants become citizens. Waiting periods could stretch to 30 years for irregular entrants, while high earners keep a three-year fast track. Employers must prepare for longer sponsorship costs and new compliance duties.

A rolling PCS strike by over 1,000 Border Force officers has already caused two-hour immigration queues at major UK airports, with the union warning action could last into January. Contingency staff lack full clearance to process non-UK passports, raising the prospect of widespread delays for business travellers during the crucial holiday season.

Starting 1 January 2026, the U.S. will almost double ESTA fees and raise EVUS and parole charges. Dual-national Brazilians who rely on ESTA for U.S. trips, as well as companies budgeting for 2026 mobility programmes, will face higher costs and should update travel-policy guidance.

India has extended its Visa-on-Arrival scheme for UAE citizens to Kochi, Calicut and Ahmedabad airports, giving Emirati travellers nine entry points nationwide. The 60-day, double-entry visa—available only to those who previously held an Indian visa—aims to deepen business, tourism and medical links and will allow UAE-based companies to send staff to more Indian cities at short notice.

India has widened its visa-on-arrival scheme for UAE citizens to nine airports, adding Cochin, Calicut and Ahmedabad. The decision simplifies last-minute travel, supports CEPA trade objectives and is expected to boost medical and business traffic from the Emirates.

The DHA’s 20 November Integrity Alert warns universities of rising document fraud in student-visa applications and threatens risk-rating downgrades for lax checks. Stricter verification and looming fee hikes could lengthen processing times for genuine students and their dependants, affecting talent pipelines from South Asia.