Dense fog grounds flights across North and Central India, airlines activate ‘FogCare’ waivers
Canada asks Air India to investigate alcohol-positive pilot; DGCA warns of wider safety lapses
South Korea extends visa-fee waiver for Indian group tourists until June 2027
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Australia’s new Migration Strategy tightens post-study work visas, alters plans for Indian graduates
Australia has shortened and re-targeted post-study work visas as part of its new migration strategy, ending automatic two-year extensions and re-imposing work-hour caps. Indian students and employers must now match study choices to skills-shortage lists to secure longer stays.
Emirates warns India-bound passengers of peak-season queues at Dubai International, offers smart-gate tips
Emirates expects a post-holiday passenger surge at Dubai and has asked travellers—including large numbers of Indians—to arrive early, use Smart Gates and consider off-airport check-in. Failure to comply could mean missed onward flights to India and project-critical delays.
Kolkata Passport Office schedules six ‘Passport Adalats’ in January to clear 2025 backlog
Kolkata’s RPO will run six high-capacity ‘Passport Adalat’ days in January to clear thousands of long-pending applications. The measure should accelerate passport issuance for business travellers awaiting documents for overseas assignments.
Amazon lets India-based staff stranded by U.S. visa backlog work remotely until March
Amazon has granted a temporary remote-work waiver to employees stuck in India because U.S. visa interviews were abruptly rescheduled, relaxing its strict office-attendance rule until 2 March 2026. The move highlights growing H-1B processing backlogs and forces companies to craft contingency plans to keep mission-critical staff productive without creating tax or regulatory risk.
U.S. travel ban on 39 countries and higher immigration fees take effect; implications for Indian firms
A widened U.S. travel ban and a raft of consular and USCIS fee hikes took effect on 1 January 2026. Although Indians are not directly banned, higher costs and stricter scrutiny will affect Indian corporates sending staff to the United States, especially dual-nationals and frequent business travellers.
Thailand and Malaysia extend visa-free entry for Indians through 2026; Vietnam cuts e-visa time to 24 hours
Both Thailand and Malaysia have rolled forward their visa-free entry schemes for Indian nationals to 31 December 2026, and Vietnam has accelerated its e-visa processing to under 24 hours. The moves slash red tape for leisure and business travel and could boost Indian outbound traffic to ASEAN.
Assam to deport foreigners within seven days of tribunal order, says Chief Minister
Assam will now expel people declared ‘foreigners’ by its tribunals within seven days, eliminating the lengthy grace period previously used to file appeals. The policy intensifies India’s border-control efforts and could affect labour availability and compliance obligations for companies operating in the Northeast.
India promotes Fast Track Immigration programme as celebrities showcase e-gate experience
India’s Bureau of Immigration has begun an influencer-driven push to popularise its Fast Track Immigration–Trusted Traveller Programme, which uses biometric e-gates at 13 airports. Registration is free and open to Indian citizens and OCI holders, offering five-year validity and sub-minute clearance times.