Global Mobility News from VisaHQ

Legislation signed on 6 February extends Czechia’s temporary-protection regime for Ukrainians and lets self-sufficient refugees graduate to a five-year residence card, easing churn for employers. The same law effectively freezes Czech citizenship applications from Russian nationals and hardens penalties for cooperation with hostile states, signalling a stricter security environment for mobility stakeholders.

Citing escalating unrest, the MEA has advised Indians to postpone non-essential travel to Iran and urged those already there to exercise extreme caution. The advisory raises insurance costs, may disrupt flight routings and spotlights the duty-of-care obligations of firms sending employees to the region.

From 25 February 2026 Aer Lingus will only accept passports or Irish passport cards on Republic of Ireland–UK routes, ending the long-standing practice of boarding with driving licences under the Common Travel Area. Non-Irish nationals must also hold a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation. The carrier says the move aligns it with competitors and reduces compliance risks, but employers should expect a short-term spike in urgent passport renewals.

On 6 February 2026, IRCC invited 8,500 French-speaking Express Entry candidates—its largest-ever francophone draw—with a CRS cut-off of 400. The move advances Ottawa’s goal of boosting francophone immigration outside Quebec and offers employers better access to bilingual talent. Candidates have 60 days to submit full applications, and more category-based draws are expected.

Freezing rain shut Berlin’s main airport on 6 February, cancelling about 170 flights and stranding thousands of passengers. The closure may last several days, disrupting corporate travel itineraries and highlighting the need for contingency routing and duty-of-care tracking.

Hong Kong estimates 1.43 million mainland visitors will pour into the city between 15 and 23 February. A 24-hour command structure, round-the-clock checkpoints and overnight trains are being readied to keep queues short. The influx could lift hotel occupancy above 90 percent and reinforce Hong Kong’s positioning as a revitalised events hub.

Sydney Airport processed 17.17 million international passengers in 2025, the highest in its history, and has appointed a Lendlease-led consortium to deliver a unified T2-T3 domestic precinct. The record traffic underscores sustained demand despite high airfares and paves the way for new airline capacity, while the redevelopment will add swing gates and biometric processing by 2030. Business travellers can expect both more route options and intermittent construction-related disruption.

Long lines at Geneva Airport prompted the EU to signal flexibility in the final roll-out of the biometric Entry/Exit System. With queues hitting three hours even under a partial deployment, industry bodies want the 10 April hard deadline delayed or softened. Swiss airports warn they lack the staff and kiosks to fingerprint every non-EU traveller during the summer peak, and corporates are revising travel policies accordingly.

Cyprus has finished the first phase of the €85 m Limnes Migrant Centre outside Larnaca. The facility will start operating immediately, easing overcrowding elsewhere and underpinning the government’s push for faster asylum processing and managed returns – developments that should streamline local services relied upon by international companies.