Global Mobility News from VisaHQ

Warsaw has prolonged its emergency regulation that blocks most asylum applications at the Belarusian land border for another 60 days, starting 21 January 2026. Only a handful of humanitarian exceptions apply; everyone else must seek protection elsewhere. The measure keeps migration pressure off the Podlaskie frontier but forces employers and travellers to plan alternative routes.

India’s passport now ranks 80th worldwide, yet visa-free or visa-on-arrival access has shrunk to 55 destinations after Iran and Bolivia tightened rules. The change forces Indian corporates to secure advance visas for two popular markets, adding cost and lead-time to trips. Mobility teams must update travel guidance and budgeting to reflect the new requirements.

India and the UAE signed a wide-ranging agreement that will streamline student visas, recognise academic credits, and create joint degree programmes, with a 48-hour e-visa turnaround and post-study work rights. The move strengthens talent flows between two fast-growing markets and gives employers a larger, work-ready graduate pool.

USCIS has issued a final rule increasing 15-day premium-processing fees for most work and student immigration filings by roughly 6 percent effective 1 March 2026. Employers and universities should adjust budgets and filing strategies now because any petitions post-marked on or after that date must include the higher amount or risk rejection. The move, authorised by the USCIS Stabilization Act, adds new cost pressure but promises reinvestment in backlog reduction.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves will announce in Davos that companies making high-value ‘trailblazer’ investments will be able to reclaim the visa fees they pay when sponsoring key foreign staff. The pilot, capped at 2,000 workers, also promises five-day processing of sponsor licences. The move lowers entry costs for multinationals and signals Labour’s intent to compete aggressively for advanced-sector projects.

Effective 1 March 2026, Emirates will boost its Dubai–Manila service to 25 flights a week, adding 1,100 daily seats and extra cargo space. The move alleviates fare pressure for Filipino expatriates, offers corporates better inventory during peak periods, and strengthens Dubai’s position as a South-east Asia gateway.

A think-tank paper published 20 January 2026 shows that net immigration has lifted Spain’s population to the brink of 50 million, with foreign-born residents now representing almost one in five people and supplying 44 % of 2025 job growth. The data confirm that immigration—not births—is driving Spain’s demographic and economic outlook, creating both opportunities and integration challenges for employers.

Interior ministers Gerhard Karner and Sándor Pintér have signed a supplementary accord that modernises Austria-Hungary border policing, introduces mixed patrols equipped with biometric scanners and expands opening hours at regional crossings. The move aims to keep irregular migration low ahead of the EU-wide Entry/Exit System go-live in April 2026 and should give businesses more predictable road links between Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest.

U.S. consulates in India are issuing far more 221(g) temporary refusals, driven by mandatory social-media reviews and deeper background checks. Even well-documented H-1B and student applicants face months-long delays, squeezing Indian IT and engineering firms that rely on rapid staff rotation. Employers should pre-screen online profiles and plan for extended lead times.

Effective 1 January 2026, the Interior Ministry’s new Foreigners Information System automatically verifies whether non-EU residents have completed the mandatory Adaptation & Integration Course before approving any residence-permit renewal. Failure to attend the four-hour class can now trigger fines or a hold on extension applications, ending years of lax enforcement. HR teams need to check expatriate files and book remaining places quickly to avoid work-authorisation gaps.

Lufthansa has halted all flights to Tehran until 29 March 2026 and will continue to avoid most Iranian airspace. Austrian Airlines flights are also suspended. The move, triggered by EU safety guidance after unrest in Iran, forces German corporates to reroute travellers and freight, lengthening journeys and squeezing cargo capacity.