Global Mobility News from VisaHQ

IRCC has stopped issuing Start-Up Visa (SUV) work permits as of December 19 and will cease accepting new SUV PR applications after December 31, 2025 (except for candidates holding 2025-dated commitment certificates). The freeze, along with an extended pause on the Self-Employed Persons Program, is meant to clear backlogs ahead of a new entrepreneur pilot in 2026. Companies counting on SUV work permits for founders will need contingency plans.

Finland has raised the bar for a permanent residence permit: six continuous years of residence and mandatory A2-level language skills are now required, with student-permit time largely excluded. Companies must update assignment timelines and bolster language-training budgets to retain talent.

Heavy thunderstorms forced Emirates to cancel 14 Dubai-origin flights and retime many more on 19 December, creating the airline’s worst weather-related disruption this year. Passengers were urged to check flight status, allow extra journey time to DXB and expect residual delays through the weekend. The incident exposes the vulnerability of end-of-year business travel and cargo flows to extreme weather in the Gulf.

Finland has switched to a 100 % online citizenship application system and simultaneously raised the residence requirement from five to six years while tightening income rules. The change speeds processing but makes naturalisation harder, forcing employers to rethink talent-retention timelines.

New social-media vetting rules triggered mass cancellations of H-1B and H-4 visa appointments, leaving many skilled workers stranded abroad over the holidays. The disruption is costing U.S. tech firms time and money and underscores growing unpredictability in post-Trump visa processing.

Facing a critical staffing shortfall, ministers have granted a one-year Skilled Worker visa extension to hundreds of Nigerian and Ghanaian prison officers whose salaries do not meet the new £41,700 immigration threshold. The move averts an operational crisis for prisons but leaves longer-term workforce and pay questions unresolved.

New Delhi and Riyadh have agreed to waive short-stay visa requirements for diplomatic, special and official passport holders, effective immediately. The accord will speed up high-level trips and is expected to facilitate strategic projects in energy, defence and infrastructure. Although it does not yet cover ordinary business travellers, mobility specialists see it as a precursor to broader visa facilitation between India and the Gulf.

Azul Handling staff servicing Ryanair will strike every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday until 31 December, disrupting baggage and check-in operations at Spain’s six busiest airports. The action coincides with record holiday traffic, creating long queues and missed connections. Companies should prepare contingencies and advise travellers to use hand luggage.

Eurostat figures published on 19 December reveal Cyprus executed about 3,000 migrant returns in Q3 2025, placing it behind only Germany and France. The data reflect the government’s hard-line policy of ensuring departures outpace new arrivals. Businesses must prepare for stricter over-stay enforcement and more meticulous document checks affecting foreign assignees.

ABS data released on 19 December show net-overseas migration dropping to 306,000—its lowest level since 2021—as arrivals fall and departures rise. The reversal tightens labour supply, especially in sectors reliant on students and working-holiday makers, and supports government plans for a smaller, more targeted migration program. Companies should expect greater competition for talent and longer visa lead-times.

A 24-hour SNCTA strike forced the DGAC to close three southern French airports and slash Lyon flights, stranding Christmas travellers and disrupting cargo. The walk-out also derailed visa-appointment plans for foreign assignees and raises fears of a longer national stoppage in January, underscoring the need for robust contingency plans.

Teething problems with the EU’s new biometric Entry/Exit System caused queues of up to four hours at Geneva Airport on 19 December, forcing officials to shut the kiosks twice. As the EES scales from 10 % to 100 % of non-EU travellers by April 2026, Swiss hubs face longer processing times that could disrupt ski traffic and high-frequency business trips. Mobility managers should revise travel-time assumptions and brief staff on biometric enrolment.

Austria has prolonged its temporary ban on refugee family reunification until 2 July 2026, citing pressure on public services. The extension divides the coalition and faces legal challenges, while employers warn it may push refugee talent to relocate elsewhere in Europe.

The Trump administration has suspended the Diversity Visa (green-card lottery) program pending a security review after the Brown-MIT shooting suspect was linked to the visa. About 55,000 selectees for fiscal year 2027—and thousands already midway through consular processing—now face open-ended delays. Employers and immigration lawyers warn of legal challenges and workforce uncertainty.