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Yesterday, Thursday February 26, 2026
Senate committee clears Bill C-12 without changes, setting stage for major immigration overhaul
A Senate committee has sent Bill C-12—the federal government’s border-security and immigration integrity bill—back to the Senate without amendments. The legislation would let Cabinet suspend or cancel immigration documents and overhaul asylum eligibility, giving Ottawa unprecedented control over immigration flows. If the Senate passes the bill at third reading on February 26, only royal assent remains before it becomes law, forcing employers and applicants to prepare for a more discretionary, less predictable system.
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Today in Business Travel & Immigration
Feb 26, 2026
UK Electronic Travel Authorisation Now Mandatory—German Travellers Must Apply Before Boarding
The UK has switched on its ETA system for all non-visa visitors from 25 February. Germans heading to Britain for meetings or assignments must now secure digital travel authorisation in advance or risk being denied boarding, adding cost and lead-time to cross-Channel travel.
Feb 26, 2026
Swiss-EU ‘Bilaterals III’ ready for signature on 2 March, paving way for a new era of market access and free-movement certainty
The Federal Council announced that the comprehensive Swiss-EU ‘Bilaterals III’ package will be signed on 2 March 2026. The deal restores legal certainty for free movement, adds faster professional-qualification recognition, and re-opens Swiss access to Horizon Europe and Erasmus+. Multinationals should prepare for streamlined permit processing and new talent-mobility opportunities once the accords are ratified.
Feb 26, 2026
Italy Confirms Roll-out of End-to-End Digital Visa Platform
Rome has set Q2 2026 for the launch of a unified e-visa portal, allowing both Schengen and national visa applicants to file, pay and track cases online. Biometric data will still be captured in person, but most paperwork disappears, signalling faster, more transparent processing for businesses relocating staff to Italy.
Feb 26, 2026
Shanghai Reports 20 % Jump in Inbound Arrivals as New Visa-Free Rules Take Hold
Inbound arrivals to Shanghai are up 20.9 % year-on-year, with 452,000 foreigners—nearly two-thirds of total entries—using the city’s visa-free channels in the first eight weeks of 2026. New online arrival cards, expanded transit waivers and the inclusion of Canada and the UK in China’s 30-day visa-free list are driving the surge, signalling a rapid normalisation of business travel to the Yangtze River Delta.
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