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Today, Thursday February 19, 2026
EU fast-tracks Gibraltar treaty to keep Spain-UK border fluid before new biometric checks
Brussels has provisionally applied the long-awaited EU–UK Gibraltar treaty to avert border chaos when the EU’s new Entry/Exit System launches on 10 April 2026. The deal removes physical frontier controls, places Schengen checks at Gibraltar’s port and airport, and safeguards the daily commute of 15,000 cross-border workers. For companies, it eliminates the risk of severe delays for staff and goods moving between Spain and the Rock, while still requiring travellers to complete initial EES biometric enrolment.
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Feb 19, 2026
Thailand doubles visa-free stay for Indians to 60 days, introduces 30-day extension
As of 13 February, Indians can enter Thailand visa-free for up to 60 days and extend once for 30 days, replacing the earlier 30-day visa-on-arrival. The change simplifies paperwork, removes airport fees and is expected to boost leisure and MICE traffic. Airlines and tour operators have already reported a jump in bookings, signalling stronger India–Thailand travel ties.
Feb 19, 2026
EU Member States Clear Path for New Switzerland-EU Bilateral Package
EU ambassadors approved a comprehensive update of Switzerland’s bilateral accords, restoring full single-market access and adding new cooperation areas. The package secures free movement, accelerates cross-border work-permit processing and reduces regulatory risk for companies that shuttle staff between Switzerland and the EU – a major win for corporate mobility planners.
Feb 19, 2026
Leaked police report says Spain’s migrant amnesty could legalise 1.35 million people
A leaked National Police assessment suggests Spain’s extraordinary regularisation scheme could grant residency and work rights to up to 1.35 million migrants, far above the government’s 500,000 estimate. Analysts warn of secondary movements from other EU states and administrative bottlenecks, raising operational concerns for employers that depend on Spain’s immigration system.
Feb 19, 2026
Lib Dems call for grace period as UK set to bar dual nationals without British passports
From 25 February 2026, airlines must refuse boarding to British dual nationals who present only a foreign passport. The Liberal Democrats and travel bodies want a grace period, warning of family disruption, high costs for certificates of entitlement and carrier fines. Employers should check that travelling staff with British citizenship hold a current UK (or Irish) passport before departure.
Feb 19, 2026
Canada unveils new 2026 Express Entry categories targeting doctors, researchers and senior managers
Ottawa has added four new occupational groupings to the 2026 Express Entry system—doctors, researchers/senior managers, transport workers and foreign military specialists—while retaining last year’s French-language, healthcare, trades and transport streams. The changes signal a shift toward attracting leadership and innovation skills and give employers faster access to permanent residency pathways for critical talent already in Canada.
Feb 19, 2026
Poland extends 78-km buffer zone on Belarusian frontier for another 90 days
Warsaw has published a regulation that prolongs the no-go buffer zone along the Belarusian border until 3 June 2026. Officials cite ongoing irregular-migration pressure and an uptick in smuggling via unmanned balloons. The move keeps tourists and most locals out of a 78-km strip and continues to affect freight routes, cross-border commuting and NGO access.
Feb 19, 2026
Huge gaps in US visitor-visa wait times across Indian consulates—Chennai at 1 month, Mumbai at 10
Fresh State-Department figures show Chennai offering B1/B2 interview slots in about one month, while Mumbai applicants wait ten months; Delhi and Hyderabad sit at eight. Student and work-visa categories are far quicker. Applicants prepared to travel domestically can gain months, underscoring the value of monitoring wait-time dashboards and rescheduling aggressively.
Feb 19, 2026
Carnival 2026 Drives Record Tourist Surge, Squeezing Brazil’s Hotels and Flights
Brazil’s Tourism Ministry expects 65 million revellers this Carnival, driving 98 percent hotel occupancy in Rio and record airline load factors. International ticket sales to Brazil are up nine percent and remaining inventory is scarce, forcing late-booking travellers into higher fares and secondary airports. Mobility managers should secure cancellable rooms immediately, pad itineraries by 24–48 hours and reconfirm visa or e-visa documentation to avoid boarding denials.
Feb 19, 2026
IS-linked Australian Woman Hit with Two-Year Return Ban Under First-Ever Temporary Exclusion Order
Australia has issued its first Temporary Exclusion Order, barring an IS-linked woman in Syria from returning for up to two years. The move underscores the government’s hard line on security risks and signals to airlines and employers that listed individuals can be prevented from entering despite holding valid passports.
Feb 19, 2026
IRCC backlog tops one million as permanent-residence pressure intensifies
IRCC’s latest inventory data show 1,014,700 applications now outside service standards, with permanent-residence files driving the growth. The backlog complicates workforce planning for employers relying on immigration to fill skills gaps and may erode Canada’s attractiveness for global talent if wait-times remain elevated.
Feb 19, 2026
Hong Kong International Airport sets 27 May opening date for new Terminal 2 departure hall
The Airport Authority has confirmed that HKIA’s rebuilt Terminal 2 departure facilities will open on 27 May 2026, introducing more self-service and biometric clearance capacity and allowing 15 airlines to relocate. The move will relieve congestion at Terminal 1 ahead of the summer peak and support Hong Kong’s aviation-hub ambitions.
Feb 19, 2026
Homeland Security Shutdown Enters Day 4, Pausing Most Visa Issuance and Forcing TSA, FEMA Staff to Work Unpaid
A partial DHS shutdown that began early Saturday has halted most immigrant-visa issuances, slowed non-immigrant processing, and forced 95 % of TSA, CBP and FEMA personnel to work without pay. USCIS continues operating on fee revenue, but support contractors are furloughed, foreshadowing longer adjudication times. With Congress in recess until Feb 23, employers and travelers should brace for cascading delays at airports, ports of entry and in disaster-response logistics.
Feb 19, 2026
Five Years On, Germany’s Skilled-Worker Immigration Act Doubles Employment-Based Residence
A Bundesagentur für Arbeit report released on 18 February 2026 shows that employment-based residence permits in Germany have more than doubled since the Skilled-Worker Immigration Act took effect in 2020. Lower Blue-Card salary thresholds, a higher Western Balkans quota and expanded digital counselling drove the growth. The data confirm that Germany’s labour market is opening faster than at any time in the past decade, offering companies wider access to international talent.
Feb 19, 2026
Weimar Triangle backs Warsaw–Berlin–Paris high-speed rail corridor
Poland, Germany and France have signed a Weimar-Triangle declaration to develop a Warsaw–Berlin–Paris high-speed rail axis. State railways PKP, DB and SNCF will align investments and seek EU funding, aiming to cut Warsaw-to-Paris journey times below eight hours and boost both passenger and military mobility across central Europe.
Feb 19, 2026
Austria launches three-pillar Skilled-Labour Strategy, promises easier Red-White-Red Card from March
The Austrian cabinet has approved a March kick-off for a Skilled-Labour Strategy built around training, apprenticeships and easier access to foreign talent via an overhauled Red-White-Red Card. The reforms promise faster, fully digital permit processing and new pathways for labour-leasing firms and non-EU apprentices, addressing a 200,000-worker shortfall. Businesses should anticipate streamlined immigration procedures and begin mapping head-count needs now.
Feb 19, 2026
Federal Council Opens Consultation on Swiss Eurodac Regulation Aligned with EU Migration Pact
Switzerland has kicked off the domestic rule-making needed to plug into the EU’s next-generation Eurodac database. From mid-2026, Swiss visa sections will cross-check applicants’ biometric and migration records across the entire Schengen zone, raising the bar for work-permit approvals and reinforcing border security.
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