Global Mobility News from VisaHQ

Ireland spent €1.2 billion accommodating asylum seekers in 2025—19 % more than in 2024—despite a 29 % drop in new applications. The surge in costs is fuelling Government plans to fast-track asylum decisions under the forthcoming International Protection Bill 2026. For employers, faster processing could ease community tensions and reduce the risk of broader restrictions on labour mobility, but housing pressures for international staff will persist.

Funding for the Department of Homeland Security lapsed on 31 January, forcing a partial government shutdown. USCIS continues processing thanks to fee funding, but the Labor Department’s immigration systems are offline and DHS personnel are unpaid. Visa-dependent employers face filing delays, and travellers should brace for longer airport and border wait times until Congress restores funding.

China’s 40-day Spring Festival migration kicks off Monday and officials project a record 9.5 billion passenger trips—80 percent by private car, the rest by rail and air. Corporations are advised to minimise travel mid-February as authorities add trains, flights and toll waivers to manage capacity. The rush signals rebounding consumer confidence and could inject RMB 120 billion into the service economy.

From 1 February 2026, UK passport holders can visit China visa-free for up to 30 days for tourism or business. The waiver, finalised during Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Beijing trip, removes weeks of paperwork and fees, giving UK firms faster access to Chinese markets and potentially boosting bilateral trade and tourism.

IRCC introduced a priority processing lane on 1 February 2026 for employer-specific work-permit applications in select health-care and agri-food occupations. The change reduces approval times from weeks to days, helping Canadian employers tackle acute labour shortages while giving foreign workers a faster route to Canada—and, potentially, to permanent residence.

SNCTA, France’s dominant air-traffic-controller union, filed a national strike notice for 7-10 October 2026, demanding inflation-linked pay rises and accelerated recruitment. Airlines estimate up to 1 800 flight cancellations and widespread rerouting of European overflights, with significant implications for corporate travel and time-sensitive cargo. Multinational firms are advised to build contingency plans now, as such long-notice ATC strikes in France are historically hard to avert.

• On 1 February 2026 Finland asked Parliament to advance €74 million so its 200-km fence on the Russian border can be finished ahead of schedule. • The government also seeks €12.2 million for extra Border Guard costs and will chip in €30 million to an EU ammunition purchase for Ukraine. • Faster construction is meant to deter Russia-linked “instrumentalised” migration and free up guards for mobile patrols. • Business travellers and corporate logisticians should expect continued passenger-traffic closures at land crossings and plan alternative routes via Helsinki Airport or Baltic ports.

• On 31 January the Federal Foreign Office escalated its advisory for Niger to a full travel warning and told German nationals to leave. • Companies must trigger evacuation plans, halt non-essential trips, and update insurance coverage to stay compliant with German duty-of-care law. • The move signals a tougher German approach to Sahel security and foreshadows stricter controls on trips to neighbouring countries.

CBP has started cancelling previously-approved ESTA travel authorisations that used scanned passport photos, insisting on a new live photo for every application. Airlines and cruise lines reported denied boardings on 1 February, forcing business and leisure travellers to reapply at short notice. Mobility managers should immediately verify employees’ ESTA status and prepare for additional biometric requirements as CBP moves the process to a mobile-app platform.

Brussels has extended roadside, coach, rail and limited flight checks inside Belgium’s borders until 31 July 2026, citing security and migration concerns. Over 25,500 travellers were screened in the first six months, with 170 found to be without valid documents. Businesses should advise mobile staff to carry proof of status and allow for delays on key routes.

Effective 2 February 2026, India has raised the duty-free allowance for returning residents and tourists of Indian origin to ₹75,000 and for foreign tourists to ₹25,000, replacing the 2016 regime. The higher limits reduce red tape at customs and make it easier for business and leisure travellers to bring personal goods into India.

The FY-2027 H-1B cap registration portal will open 4–19 March 2026. USCIS will use a wage-based weighted lottery and may levy an extra US $100,000 fee on certain high-volume employers. Companies must budget for the new costs, set competitive wage levels, and update internal systems well ahead of the compressed filing window.

Starting 1 February 2026, Angolan citizens will receive five-year, multiple-entry visit visas for Brazil instead of the previous two-year documents. The stay limit remains 90 days per visit, but the longer validity slashes consular workload and gives companies a more predictable framework for rotating Angolan staff. The policy underscores Brasília’s push for deeper Lusophone mobility and reflects Angola’s own visa-waiver liberalisation.