Global Mobility News from VisaHQ

Poland’s long-planned digital immigration overhaul is now reality. As of 1 January 2026, all residence-permit applications must be filed via the MOS e-portal, with standard fees leaping from PLN 100 to PLN 400 and posted-worker fees to PLN 800. Employers must adapt quickly to e-signatures, full-passport scans and higher budgeting for assignments.

Dubai and Abu Dhabi have rolled out four new visa types, including a highly anticipated AI Specialist Visa, and introduced tiered salary thresholds for residents who wish to sponsor relatives. The reforms enhance the UAE’s competitiveness for tech talent yet raise compliance hurdles for routine family visits, necessitating rapid policy updates by global-mobility teams.

On 5 January the Flemish Government put a fully digital Single-Permit portal into production, allowing employers to file all work-and-residence permits—including unlimited-duration authorisations—through a single online workflow. The change promises faster processing and fewer courier costs but requires HR teams to learn new eID-based procedures.

Czechia has launched an end-to-end digital immigration portal that replaces paper processes for all major permit types. Applicants submit documents and fees online and track real-time status, while employers gain predictable processing timelines and automated reminders. Companies must migrate any 2025 paper files by 31 March 2026.

Unions representing airport ground staff, easyJet crews and Vueling cabin crew will stage strikes across Italy on Friday, 9 January. The walk-outs overlap for up to 24 hours and are expected to cause flight cancellations and severe delays at Rome Fiumicino, Milan Linate, Milan Malpensa and other hubs, potentially disrupting onward connections for business travellers.

From 8 January 2026 the UK will require an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for all visa-waiver nationals, including Americans, even when only transiting. The £16 digital permit must be obtained online before departure; airlines will deny boarding to passengers without one after a short grace period that ends on 25 February 2026. Corporates should update travel policies and ensure travellers apply at least 72 hours in advance.

Warsaw has extended temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees until 4 March 2026 and launched a nationwide network of integration centres supported by a real-time data dashboard. The move stabilises the legal and labour-market status of about one million Ukrainians and equips employers with granular workforce insights, but introduces new employment-linked conditions for child-benefit payments and healthcare.

India has enlarged its e-Visa scheme to 167 countries and nine sub-categories, promising 72-hour approvals and removing the earlier cap of three e-visas per year. The move streamlines corporate travel and signals Delhi’s intent to position tourism and short-term business visits as growth engines in 2026.

A new Corporate Citizenship Law lets eligible companies gain an Emirati legal identity, granting them streamlined licensing, expanded immigration sponsoring power and treaty-based tax benefits. The reform strengthens the UAE’s bid to host regional HQs and will directly benefit global-mobility programmes by simplifying assignee paperwork and enhancing talent-retention incentives.

Heavy snow from Storm Goretti forced scores of cancellations and delays at Brussels Airport on 7 January, rippling through corporate travel schedules, supply chains and immigration compliance. Airlines can invoke ‘exceptional weather’ waivers but must still reroute or refund passengers, while foreign nationals risk overstaying transit limits if stranded. Employers should add buffer time, keep visa documents handy and consider alternative routings until operations normalise.

An inter-ministerial ordinance effective 1 January 2026 abolishes Brazil’s separate Afghan, Haitian and other humanitarian visa programmes and introduces a single, crisis-agnostic framework. Future eligibility will be defined by joint acts from the Justice and Foreign Affairs ministries, and all applicants must secure a "hosting commitment" from an accredited NGO. The change pauses new filings temporarily and forces global mobility teams to add extra lead time and partners when relocating staff from conflict zones.

SWISS moved more than 629,000 passengers over the holiday peak yet still operated 99 % of flights on schedule and improved punctuality by 8.5 points. New winter-ops procedures, including pre-positioned crews and predictive de-icing buffers, helped offset heavy storms in Europe and the U.S., giving Swiss-based companies a smoother start to the business year.

The State Department has added 25 nations—including Venezuela, Cuba and Nigeria—to its visa-bond pilot, requiring many B-1/B-2 applicants to post US$5k–15k bonds starting 21 January 2026. The change raises costs and cash-flow concerns for business travellers and their employers while intensifying criticism that the program disproportionately affects lower-income countries.

On 7 January 2026, IRCC issued 574 ITAs to Provincial Nominee Program candidates in the year’s first Express Entry round. With a CRS cut-off of 711, the draw clears the queue of provincially selected workers and helps regional employers secure talent outside major hubs.

Electricity, heating and phone service were fully restored to south-west Berlin on 7 January after a suspected left-wing arson attack that caused the city’s worst blackout in 80 years. The four-day outage paralysed S-Bahn lines, disrupted BER airport ground operations and forced hotels and hospitals onto generators. Companies with travellers or assignees in Berlin face knock-on costs and are revising contingency and insurance cover. The incident is a stark reminder that critical-infrastructure threats must now sit alongside visa and tax issues on every Germany mobility risk register.

Effective this month, Chinese nationals supporting PLI-linked industrial projects can apply online for India’s new e-B-4 Production Investment Business Visa, securing six-month stays for installation and training work. The category fills a critical skills gap and signals a calibrated thaw in India–China business mobility.

Dubai has tightened its Golden Visa salary rule, requiring AED 30,000 in basic—not total—monthly pay for scientists and specialists. Employers must re-verify payroll data, and assignees on variable-pay packages may need alternative immigration strategies.

The Department of Home Affairs is operating with skeleton staff until roughly 15 January, slowing decision-making across all visa subclasses. Sector analysts estimate grant notices are down 70 % since mid-December. Employers should expect onboarding delays for transferees, while individual applicants are advised to ensure files are ‘decision-ready’ so they move quickly once officers return.

From 1 January 2026, Austria has lifted the minimum subsistence income that residence-permit applicants must demonstrate. Singles now need €1,273.99 a month, married couples €2,009.85, plus €196.57 per child. Employers and relocating families should audit payroll and passive-income streams to ensure renewals are not rejected.