Global Mobility News from VisaHQ

Beijing announced that ordinary British passport holders will soon be able to enter China visa-free for up to 30 days for tourism or business, following UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s talks with President Xi Jinping. The unilateral concession eliminates costly, time-consuming visa applications and is expected to boost corporate travel, trade missions and leisure tourism between the two countries. It also signals a broader thaw in UK-China relations.

Spain has opened a three-month application window to regularise roughly 500,000 undocumented migrants who were already in the country before 31 December 2025. Successful applicants will receive a one-year residence and work permit, with dependants protected for five years. The move gives employers legal access to much-needed labour, brings informal earnings into the tax net and offers migrants access to formal jobs and services—though it faces strong criticism from opposition parties.

Immigration Minister Lena Diab says IRCC needs a digital tool to track how many temporary residents actually leave Canada when their visas expire. With almost 1.9 million authorisations set to lapse in 2026, better exit data would strengthen programme integrity, reassure the public, and simplify employer compliance.

Barcelona’s city government projects that at least 24,000 undocumented migrants could gain legal status under Spain’s new amnesty and has created a dedicated task-force to manage applications and employer outreach. The initiative aims to fill chronic labour gaps, curb exploitation in the informal economy and provide migrants with clear, rapid guidance through the three-month application period.

From 30-31 January, Saudi consulates have been denying or stalling business-visa applications submitted from the UAE, a move linked to recent diplomatic tensions. The sudden clamp-down is disrupting cross-border projects and forcing UAE firms to seek work-arounds such as tourist visas or routing via third countries. The episode underscores geopolitical risk in Gulf mobility and may accelerate decisions on relocating staff to Riyadh.

easyJet pilots and cabin crew will stop work between 13:00 and 17:00 on 31 January, threatening delays and cancellations across Italy’s main airports. The dispute centres on pay, rosters and parity with colleagues abroad. Because the stoppage sits outside the legally protected flight windows, many services are vulnerable, and EU-261 compensation may apply. Corporate travel planners should prepare alternatives and brief employees on their rights.

DHS and DOL issued a temporary rule on January 31 adding 65,000 H-2B visas for FY 2026. Employers must prove “irreparable harm,” and most of the visas are reserved for returning workers. The move eases acute labor shortages in hospitality, construction and other seasonal industries but introduces new compliance hurdles. Companies should prepare petitions immediately because the supplemental quota is expected to vanish within days.

A rolling, union-led strike at Wallonia’s TEC bus company entered its sixth day on 31 January, cancelling more than two-thirds of services in key districts and threatening to last into next week. The walkout protests government cost-cutting plans and is already forcing employers to activate tele-work and contingency travel arrangements. Continued disruption could affect cross-border commuters and logistics chains that rely on TEC’s network.

EU Home-Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner told dpa that the EU should wield visa facilitation and visa sanctions more strategically, while also phasing out Germany’s “temporary” Schengen border checks once the new asylum pact is in place. The comments matter to German employers because they promise faster digital talent visas and a possible end to random ID stops that slow business travel.

China will allow ordinary UK passport holders to enter visa-free for stays of up to 30 days, following talks between PM Keir Starmer and President Xi Jinping in Beijing. The unilateral waiver, expected to take effect within weeks, eliminates onerous visa paperwork and fees for short business and tourist trips, promising faster market access for British firms. Corporate travel teams should adjust approval workflows and remind staff that paid work remains restricted.

The UN has extended its peacekeeping mission in Cyprus for another year, warning that the island’s status quo is untenable and urging the opening of more Green Line crossing points. The decision signals potential improvements for commuters and businesses operating on both sides of the divide but also highlights ongoing security risks that mobility managers must track.