Global Mobility News from VisaHQ

Canada shut the federal Start-Up Visa to new applicants on 1 January 2026. Entrepreneurs must now pivot to provincial nominee entrepreneur streams or secure C-11 work permits until Ottawa unveils a successor pilot later this year.

The U.S. State Department will suspend the issuance of all immigrant (permanent-resident) visas to Brazilians from 21 January, forcing companies to pivot to temporary categories and rethink green-card timelines. Non-immigrant visas remain unaffected, but hundreds of EB-class cases will be parked indefinitely. The move complicates talent planning for multinationals and has prompted a diplomatic protest from Brasília.

From 8 January 2026 all first-time Skilled Worker, Scale-up and High Potential Individual applicants must demonstrate English at B2 level and pay higher visa fees; settlement eligibility is pushed from five to six years. Employers face higher compliance costs and longer lead times, while universities warn of declining overseas enrolments.

IRCC announced it will not add or remove any programs from the Post-Graduation Work Permit eligibility list in 2026. The move offers certainty to international students and the employers who depend on PGWP holders for early-career talent, ensuring Canada remains a competitive study-abroad destination.

The ICP’s new UAE Fast Track app lets travellers clear immigration at the country’s three largest airports in about 90 seconds, down from the previous 8-10 minutes. The optional, free service should ease bottlenecks ahead of Ramadan, reduce missed onward flights and give employers a simple way to speed up assignee arrivals while maintaining security oversight. ([visahq.com](https://www.visahq.com/news/2026-01-17/ae/uae-launches-fast-track-biometric-app-to-clear-immigration-in-90-seconds/?utm_source=openai))

Belgium’s regions have published higher minimum salaries for 2026 work permits and EU Blue Cards, increasing wages by roughly 6–7 %. Applications that quote 2025 figures will be rejected, so employers must update contracts, payroll models and budgets immediately. The jump raises mobility costs but may steer firms toward alternative permit categories.

Cyprus has equipped border officers with 2,300 SIS-enabled tablets that slash passport- and vehicle-check times from five minutes to 30 seconds, a €4 million upgrade co-financed by the EU. The move improves passenger throughput, trims airline schedules and strengthens the island’s case for joining the Schengen Area.

Freezing rain left runways, rail catenaries and highways coated in ice, forcing Prague Airport to meter arrivals and shutting dozens of rail services. Corporates with staff in Czechia triggered mobility contingency plans, rerouting travellers, rescheduling immigration appointments and activating remote-work protocols. The event underscores the need for integrated weather-related mobility risk management.

A draft law released on 16 January would let Migri automatically cancel the residence permits of non-EU students who receive any basic social assistance. Real-time data sharing between Kela and Migri would flag violations, triggering deportation or a status change. Universities and business groups fear the proposal could deter much-needed talent, while the government insists it simply enforces self-support rules.

From 19 January 2026 the age threshold for using automated immigration lanes between Hong Kong and Macao will fall from 11 to seven. The change will speed up family and commuter flows at all land and sea control points, shave 10–15 minutes off typical journeys and reduce manual-counter congestion during peak periods, benefiting cross-border businesses and tourism operators.

Poland has renewed its ‘temporary’ border controls with Germany and Lithuania until 4 April 2026, citing irregular migration. German commuters and supply chains face modest but recurring delays, and mobility managers should update travel plans and documentation advice.

A parliamentary committee has endorsed a draft law capping strikes at state-owned transport firms to 30 days per year. If enacted, the measure would give businesses a clear view of disruption-free travel windows, slash emergency re-routing costs and make France more attractive for investment and major events. Unions vow to fight the plan in court.

Poland has prolonged temporary document checks on its borders with Germany and Lithuania until 4 April 2026, citing continued pressure from irregular migration routes. Business travellers and freight operators should plan for short delays and carry passports or IDs, while companies may need to adjust schedules for cross-border staff movements.

India’s DGCA has fined IndiGo ₹22.2 crore and demanded a ₹50-crore guarantee after a probe blamed the carrier’s December schedule collapse on poor planning and FDTL breaches. The unprecedented penalty raises the cost of operational failure and signals tougher enforcement of crew-fatigue rules, with direct implications for corporate travel continuity.

Random German passport checks, heavy snow and lane closures turned Austria’s key A12 motorway into a 90-minute crawl on 17 January, disrupting holiday traffic and freight flows between Bavaria, Tyrol and northern Italy. The gridlock led to missed flights at Innsbruck Airport and cost overruns for logistics operators. Businesses should expect weekend delays to continue and plan alternate routings or buffer time.

From 31 January, travellers leaving Brazil will need to present a scannable gov.br QR code instead of paper IDs. Airlines foresee faster processing but urge corporate flyers and expatriates to activate digital accounts now to avoid denied boarding. A short grace period will end mid-February.

China has publicly signalled that it will allow Canadians to visit visa-free for up to 30 days, but the policy is not yet in force. Companies must continue to obtain Chinese visas for Canadian staff until the National Immigration Administration issues an official notice. The waiver would cut costs and paperwork for frequent business travel and indicates a warming of China-Canada ties.

A Labour-Ministry circular dated 16 January 2026 has allocated 40 075 seasonal-work visa slots for 2026, activating the first stage of Italy’s record-breaking Decreto Flussi programme. Employers in agriculture and tourism now have legal certainty—and less than a month—to file ‘click-day’ applications, making early preparation critical for corporate mobility teams.

On 18 January, Heathrow and Gatwick recorded 150 delays and cancellations, disrupting thousands of passengers and many corporate itineraries. Airlines blame controller shortages and winter slot constraints; regulators remind carriers of their compensation obligations, while mobility managers advise travellers to allow wider schedule buffers.