Global Mobility News from VisaHQ

From midnight on 15 February the temporary spur road at Zhuhai Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge will close, forcing all traffic to use the G94 expressway. Hong Kong officials expect heavy congestion as holidaymakers and cross-boundary vehicles converge for Golden Week and have ordered extra shuttle-bus services. Companies should revise delivery timetables, instruct employees to allow additional travel time and ensure Northbound Vehicle permits reflect the new routing.

The Minister for Justice has automatically prolonged all Temporary Protection certificates by 12 months, keeping beneficiaries lawfully resident and work-eligible until 4 March 2027. No new paperwork is required, easing pressure on employers and immigration offices. The extension aligns Ireland with forthcoming EU decisions and provides critical planning certainty for businesses employing Ukrainian nationals.

From 25 February 2026 UK carriers will refuse boarding to dual British nationals who do not show a British (or Irish) passport or a £589 certificate of entitlement. The sudden enforcement, part of the UK’s fully digital border roll-out, has sparked confusion among expatriates and business travellers and could strand families overseas. Companies must urgently review travellers’ documentation to avoid costly disruptions.

Flights at Germany’s biggest airline are back on schedule after a one-day strike by both pilot and cabin-crew unions cancelled nearly 800 services on 12 February. Frankfurt handled a record 1,160 take-offs and landings on Friday to clear the backlog. Companies should expect further collective-bargaining turbulence this spring and keep alternative routing options ready.

Official data released on 13 February show record numbers of work permits for non-EU nationals in Flanders, but new regional rules simultaneously make it harder for employers to hire abroad for many medium-skilled roles. Companies will face longer labour-market tests and a slimmed-down fast-track list, while high-skill routes remain open. Businesses warn the changes could deepen skills shortages; the government says local job-seekers must come first.

All nine Greece Visa Application Centres in India reopened on 12 February 2026 following a cyber-incident shutdown that began in mid-December. Standard 15-day processing and limited five-day priority service have resumed, unblocking more than 22,000 pending Indian Schengen applications. The restart eases pressure on other EU consulates and restores confidence for Indian leisure and business travellers heading to Greece.

From 1 February 2026 the ACT will hike weekly income thresholds for Subclass 491 and 190 nominations and abolish its fast-track pathway for 482-visa holders. The tougher rules aim to attract higher-paid talent but create new hurdles for employers and migrants already in Canberra.

Western Sydney’s curfew-free second airport will handle its first cargo flights in July and welcome passengers from October 2026. Launch partners Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Jetstar and Air New Zealand are preparing to put seats on sale, while integrated testing of baggage, security and emergency systems is under way. The project will unlock more than 200 extra daily flights by 2030, easing slot pressure at Sydney Kingsford Smith and giving business travellers greater schedule flexibility.

Emirates has reassured customers that Dubai–Algiers flights will operate normally for at least one year, naming 3 February 2027 as the final service after Algeria moved to cancel its air-services treaty with the UAE. The notice period gives businesses a clear timeline to adjust travel policies and relocation plans while signalling potential network redeployments by the airline.

Border Guard officers arrested 38 Filipino and Colombian nationals working illegally near Nysa on 13 February 2026 and issued 37 return orders plus a one-year Schengen ban. The action underscores Poland’s tougher workplace-inspection regime and the need for employers and staffing agencies to double-check immigration compliance.

Transport Minister Matteo Salvini says an emergency decree will bar two nationwide airport strikes slated for 16 February and 7 March, arguing they would tarnish the Milano-Cortina Games. The move invokes a rarely-used clause of Italy’s strike law, giving airlines and travellers short-term certainty but signalling a tougher stance on labour unrest during hallmark events.

Cyprus’s Auditor-General released a damning report on 13 February 2026 revealing nearly 12,000 pending citizenship files, rampant identity-fraud vulnerabilities and millions in uncollected fines at the Civil Registry & Migration Department. The systemic failures mean longer processing times, higher compliance costs and reputational risks for companies relocating staff to Cyprus.