Global Mobility News from VisaHQ

Canada’s population slipped by 0.2 % in Q3 2025—the first non-COVID quarterly decline on record—after a massive net loss of non-permanent residents. The drop reflects Ottawa’s effort to curb study- and work-permit volumes and signals potential labour-market tightness ahead. Businesses that rely on temporary foreign talent should reassess renewal pipelines and succession plans.

MoHRE says AI now approves work-permit quotas in one second, completing 13 million fully automated transactions in 2025. The change, part of the Zero Government Bureaucracy drive, slashes hiring lead-times and gives companies near-instant visibility on foreign-labour allocations—while increasing data-driven compliance checks.

Germany has announced that, from 1 January 2026, the minimum salary will increase to €50,700 for standard EU Blue Cards and €45,934.20 for shortage-occupation cards. Employers must revise December offers or risk refusals.

Effective 1 January 2026, Flanders will impose chain-liability checks on contractors, stricter labour-market testing and the removal of low-skilled migration routes, while adding a €200 fee for single-permit filings. Employers must overhaul recruitment processes and compliance documentation or risk penalties and talent shortages.

The Deputy Ministry of Migration and International Protection has placed its 2025-2029 Migrant Integration Strategy in public consultation until 23 December 2025. The draft sets out language, training and digital-service reforms aimed at helping Cyprus’ 175,000 legally-resident third-country nationals integrate into the labour market and society. Employers should prepare for new reporting obligations and funding opportunities starting in early 2026.