Global Mobility News from VisaHQ

Poland has activated its MOS e-portal, making online filing mandatory for all residence-permit applications and increasing most government fees four-fold. Employers must obtain e-signatures, retrain staff and update budgets immediately or risk losing employee status. The change is Poland’s biggest immigration shake-up in a decade and signals a permanent shift to digital-only compliance.

New Delhi has widened the e-Visa scheme to 167 countries and nine sub-categories, promising 72-hour online approvals and scrapping the three-visa-per-year cap. The change simplifies short-term assignments and sales trips for multinationals and supports India’s goal of dispersing tourists beyond major metros.

Austria has raised its travel advisory for Venezuela to Level 6 (“do not travel”) and set up an inter-ministerial crisis cell to support some 750 residents and scores of short-term travellers. Companies must review duty-of-care plans, and travellers should expect flight cancellations and complex routings via third countries.

Heavy snowfall and upstream equipment shortages triggered 39 cancellations and over 100 delays at Zurich and Geneva on 6 January. Business travellers face spill-over disruption for up to two days; companies should consider rail or alternative hubs and remind staff of EU 261 rights.

On 6 January 2026 Poland extended temporary-protection rights for Ukrainians to 4 March 2026, linked child-benefit eligibility to parental employment and launched a nationwide network of integration centres backed by a granular data dashboard. The move gives employers better access to talent but also new compliance checkpoints.

From 7 to 29 January 2026, ÖBB will block the Innsbruck–Rum section of the Weststrecke to replace the ageing Rauchmühl bridge. Long-distance trains from Vienna will be diverted, adding up to an hour of travel time, and local buses will substitute for regional trains. Businesses should adjust travel itineraries and check that foreign staff have enough visa validity in case of delays.

South Australia invited 344 skilled-migration candidates on 6 January 2026, the first invitation round of the year. Health, engineering and ICT occupations led demand. Monthly rounds will continue, giving employers and migrants predictable opportunities to secure permanent (Subclass 190) and regional (Subclass 491) visas.

Czechia’s brand-new Foreigner Account portal brings every stage of the residence-permit and long-term-visa process online, leaving just one biometric visit on paper. HR teams gain real-time status tracking and faster decisions, while legacy applications must be migrated by 31 March 2026.

An ordinance published on 1 January 2026 creates a single humanitarian-visa regime, replacing the country-specific programmes for Afghans, Haitians and others. Future eligibility will be defined in joint acts by the Justice and Foreign Affairs ministries, and applicants must now secure sponsorship from an approved NGO. The change streamlines Brazil’s legal architecture but introduces short-term uncertainty for mobility and refugee planning.

The State Department has updated its visa-bond pilot, adding seven countries and bringing the total to 39 whose nationals must post US $5,000-15,000 bonds for B-1/B-2 visas. Businesses should screen travelers from the newly listed states, budget for the additional cash outlay and ensure entry via Boston, JFK or Dulles. The move underlines Washington’s growing reliance on financial guarantees to curb overstays.

For the next month, Dubai’s immigration authority will run a fully functional visa-service centre inside Global Village, letting residents and tourists renew visas, pay fines and register for Smart Gates while visiting the theme park. The initiative should shorten queues at Al-Jafiliya headquarters and gives HR teams an after-hours option during peak season.

The Home Office has launched a final publicity push before it begins enforcing Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETAs) for visa-exempt visitors from 25 February 2026. Airlines, ferry operators and Eurostar must verify ETA status at check-in or face fines, and travellers without digital permission will be denied boarding. The change requires immediate action from travel managers and carriers but is designed to pave the way for a fully digital UK border.