Global Mobility News from VisaHQ

Effective 21 January 2026, Washington will stop issuing immigrant visas to applicants from 75 nations, including Brazil. The freeze halts new green-card cases and family-based petitions, forcing Brazilian companies to rethink U.S. assignment plans and raising the compliance burden for workers already in America. Why it matters: the United States is Brazil’s second-largest destination for outbound assignees, so the suspension disrupts talent pipelines and creates urgent contingency-planning needs for multinationals.

Cyprus Police have activated 2,300 tablets that give patrol officers real-time access to the Schengen Information System and Interpol notices. The €4 million project is designed to prove Cyprus’ technical readiness to join the Schengen Zone and should shorten ID checks for tourists and business travellers. Companies should update travel policies accordingly.

Circular n. 64 divides 40,075 seasonal-agriculture visas across Italy’s regions and opens the online ‘click-day’ on 12 January. Regional quotas can be re-assigned after 50 days, and incomplete applications expire at six months, heightening the need for timely filings. The measure underlines the Meloni government’s strategy of expanding legal entry channels while tightening compliance.

From 25 February 2026, Australian–British dual citizens must present a British or Irish passport (or an Australian passport with a Certificate of Entitlement) when flying to the UK. The rule is tied to the UK’s new ETA system and aims to ensure pre-departure compliance. Companies need to audit travel documents and brief affected employees now to avoid costly disruption.

Ministers have abandoned plans to make a specific Digital ID card the only acceptable proof of right to work. Employers may now use e-passports, e-visas or other documents, but still face stiff fines for breaches. Mobility teams must update compliance processes immediately.

A one-day ver.di strike shut down 13 German airports on 14 January, leading to the cancellation of more than 3,400 flights and stranding some 510,000 passengers. The union seeks an 8 percent pay rise; employers say the demand is unaffordable. Business travellers faced extensive rerouting headaches, and mobility managers are urged to monitor further strike threats as negotiations resume in March.

Freezing rain forced Vienna International Airport to ground all flights for most of 13 January, cancelling or diverting more than 120 services and stranding thousands of passengers. The shutdown disrupted regional air and rail networks, highlighting the fragility of Austria’s single-hub model and the need for robust contingency planning by corporate travel and logistics teams.

Sixteen new mainland cities will join Hong Kong’s high-speed rail timetable on 26 January, lifting the direct network to 110 stops. The timing targets Lunar New Year peak traffic and is expected to shift corporate travellers from air to rail on sub-eight-hour routes, trimming costs and emissions. Extra e-Channel lanes and staff will be deployed to manage the surge.

Intense freezing rain on 12–13 January forced Prague Airport to restrict arrivals, shut segments of the Czech rail and bus network and close stretches of the D8 motorway. Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest airports also suspended operations, causing regional diversions. Mobility managers should audit Schengen-day balances, prepare overstay mitigation strategies and advise travellers to expect rolling disruptions for at least another 24 hours.

Bookings for travel to China rose 38 percent in the first week of 2026 after Beijing broadened its unilateral visa-free list and extended transit waivers. The spike underscores China’s renewed openness, but also tightens hotel capacity and underscores the need for early planning by mobility teams.

Warsaw has prolonged temporary Schengen-internal border checks with Germany and Lithuania until 4 April 2026. Random inspections at 65 crossings will continue, adding modest delays for business travellers and supply-chain hauliers. Mobility managers should budget extra transit time and ensure employees carry robust proof of residence and employment.

Effective January 21, 2026, the State Department will stop processing immigrant visas for nationals of 75 countries, citing potential “public-charge” risks. The freeze does not apply to short-term visitor and work visas but will stall thousands of family- and employment-based green-card cases, complicating U.S. talent pipelines. Multinationals should brace for delayed start dates, consider non-immigrant alternatives and monitor expected legal challenges.

Ryanair will cut 10 % of its Brussels Charleroi flights from April 2026 in protest against Belgium’s new €3 passenger tax. The airline will redeploy four aircraft to other European bases, shrinking seat supply by 1.1 million and likely pushing up prices. The clash underscores how national eco-taxes can quickly reshape route networks, creating cost and connectivity headaches for business travellers.