Global Mobility News from VisaHQ

Poland has flipped the switch on the EU’s biometric Entry/Exit System at every external border point, digitising passport stamps and slashing repeat-traveller processing times. Businesses should expect one-off enrolment delays, but faster crossings thereafter, and review travel-policy and data-privacy provisions. The move bolsters Warsaw’s argument that robust external controls make internal Schengen checks unnecessary.

A three-day nationwide strike peaked on 26 November, grounding most flights at Brussels and Charleroi airports and slashing rail and metro services. The work stoppage, aimed at blocking government austerity plans, stranded tens of thousands of travellers and disrupted corporate mobility programmes.

Following a White House–area shooting blamed on an Afghan immigrant, USCIS has stopped processing every immigration request connected to Afghan nationals. The sudden freeze imperils family-reunification, SIV and work-visa cases and signals a wider security crackdown on applicants from high-risk countries.

The State Department has started revoking and blocking U.S. visas for Central American nationals alleged to be advancing Chinese strategic interests, drawing a sharp protest from Beijing. The move expands Washington’s use of immigration tools in great-power competition and could complicate travel for regional officials and business leaders with China ties.

IRCC will spend CA $3.6 million on four projects that help recruit and retain French-speaking immigrants in minority communities outside Quebec. The move supports Ottawa’s goal of raising Francophone admissions to 10 percent by 2028 and creates new pathways for employers to tap bilingual talent. Businesses should expect faster referrals into category-based Express Entry draws and stronger local settlement supports.

The MEA confirmed that India is once again issuing both tourist and business visas to Chinese nationals, ending a suspension imposed after 2020 border tensions. The move removes a key travel hurdle for companies and signals a tentative thaw in bilateral relations.

From 1 December 2025 Austria will roll out a dedicated residence-and-work permit for non-EU frontier workers who live in a neighbouring state but commute to Austrian border districts. The new route slashes paperwork compared with the Red-White-Red Card and is expected to help companies in Tyrol, Styria and Carinthia fill hard-to-staff vacancies. Employers should review labour-market approval requirements and update mobility policies.

From 15 December 2025, Ukrainians living in Czechia under the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive can apply for a five-year biometric residence card, replacing their annual sticker. Applicants must meet minimum income and accommodation requirements, but the change eliminates yearly renewals and eases HR compliance for Czech employers.

Italy’s upper house has converted the 2025 Flussi Decree into law, confirming quotas for 2026-28 and imposing a 30-day maximum for issuing work authorisations. The law extends visa-application windows for trainees and lengthens certain humanitarian permits, giving companies clearer timelines—but also heightening the risk of rejection for defective files.

DHS has formally ordered the sunset of Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status designation on February 3, 2026, affecting more than 350,000 Haitians in the U.S. Employers must prepare for expiring work permits, while legal challenges to the termination are expected.

IRCC’s November 26 CEC draw issued 1,000 ITAs with a CRS cut-off of 531, slightly lower than recent rounds. The result reinforces IRCC’s focus on candidates already contributing to the Canadian labour market and signals a marginally easier path to permanent residence for mid-level professionals.

EU-law professor Werner Schroeder filed a landmark suit on 27 November to stop Germany’s internal Schengen border checks, saying repeated six-month extensions violate EU law. A favourable ruling could end ID inspections that slow cross-border commuting and freight, with direct cost implications for German-based manufacturers and mobile workers.

Citing continued irregular migration pressure, Poland has extended spot checks on its borders with Germany and Lithuania until April 2026. The decision means all travellers—even EU citizens—face possible document inspections, and logistics firms should budget for sporadic delays on key trucking corridors.

China’s detention of an Arunachal-born Indian passport holder during a Shanghai layover has sparked a formal protest from New Delhi and raised red flags for Indians transiting through Chinese airports, especially those born in territories claimed by Beijing.

On 27 November the UAE halted the issuance of most new visas for Pakistani nationals, citing security concerns. The freeze disrupts recruitment pipelines, family travel and business mobility between the two countries and forces employers to adjust staffing plans. Both governments say talks are under way, but no timeline for resumption has been given.

All Australian immigration portals will be offline for scheduled maintenance from the evening of 28 November to midday 29 November, blocking lodgements and VEVO checks. Employers and mobility managers must act now to avoid visa lapses and onboarding delays.

ANAC data show Brazil handled 11 million airline passengers in October 2025—its busiest month ever. Robust domestic and international demand, private-sector airport upgrades and higher load factors signal broader recovery, but forward booking data point to rising fares and capacity constraints that corporate travel teams must budget for.

New NIA statistics released on 26 November show foreign entries to China up 35 % year-on-year, with 60 % of visitors using visa-free or transit schemes. Expanded entry ports, a 240-hour TWOV programme and a new online arrival card are easing bottlenecks and encouraging airlines to add capacity. The surge underscores the business value of China’s recently extended visa-waiver policies.

Bern has decided to keep next year’s ceiling of 8 500 work-permits for non-EU/EFTA nationals and 3 500 for posted EU/EFTA service-providers, with an identical special quota for UK citizens. The move gives employers continued access to foreign skills but leaves pressure on cantonal authorities to vet applications rigorously as migration hits record levels.