Global Mobility News from VisaHQ

IRCC confirmed it will keep the current list of PGWP-eligible study programs unchanged throughout 2026, providing certainty for international students and the employers who hire them. The decision averts feared cuts to popular business and arts diplomas and preserves an important talent channel for Canadian firms.

Germany’s Interior Ministry has raised the standard EU Blue Card salary to €50,700 (shortage occupations: €45,934.20) for all applications from 1 January 2026. Companies must update contracts and budgets immediately or risk refusals, as authorities are already enforcing the new thresholds. The hike tightens the labour market for mid-level talent but keeps Germany competitive for highly paid specialists.

Effective 10 January the Czech Consulate in Dresden stopped accepting standard employee-card and business-visa applications, reserving its few remaining slots for talent-programme and preferred-nationality cases. The move forces German-based multinationals to reroute applicants to other missions, adding costs and delaying onboarding by up to two months.

The U.S. State Department has ordered an open-ended suspension of immigrant-visa issuances for citizens of Brazil and 74 other nations, effective 21 Jan 2026. While short‐term business and tourist visas are exempt, green-card applicants and corporate transferees will be stuck in limbo, forcing companies to re-route talent pipelines and rethink assignment schedules.