Canada to Raise Permanent-Residence Fees on April 30 2026
Indian Carriers Issue Special Schedules and Advisories as West Asia Airspace Crisis Persists
Dubai International Airport Maintains Limited Schedule as Security Situation Stabilises
Latest News
Belgian Government Approves Controversial Home Search Powers to Enforce Deportations
Belgium’s cabinet has approved a draft law permitting police, with judicial authorisation, to enter private homes and detain undocumented migrants who ignore deportation orders. The move seeks to bolster a return rate that is among the EU’s lowest but is controversial among human-rights groups and coalition partners. Corporate mobility teams face new compliance and housing-liability considerations if the bill is passed by parliament.
China Releases 9-Agency Package to Turbo-Charge Travel Service Exports
MOFCOM and eight other agencies issued a policy package to boost travel-service exports and inbound consumption. Key planks include easier short-term visas, wider foreign-card acceptance, digital VAT refunds and pilot “one-stop” event visas. The initiative underscores China’s intent to treat inbound travel as a strategic service export, benefiting corporates that send staff or clients to China.
Ireland Launches Public Consultation on EU-Compliant Government Digital Wallet
Ireland has opened a public consultation and live testing phase for its EU-mandated Government Digital Wallet, scheduled for full roll-out by end-2026. The wallet will let users store and selectively share digital passports, licences and other credentials, simplifying identity checks for business travellers and employers. Companies should prepare to integrate the new system into right-to-work and onboarding workflows.
Fuel shortage prompts temporary jet-fuel rationing at four Italian airports
Air BP Italia has begun rationing jet fuel at Bologna, Milan-Linate, Venice and Treviso from 4–9 April, prioritising medical, state and long-haul flights. Airlines have not yet cancelled services, but travellers may face weight restrictions, technical stops or schedule changes. Companies should monitor flights, check insurance coverage and prepare for potential knock-on immigration issues if re-routing through non-Schengen hubs becomes necessary.
U.S. revokes visas and green cards of high-profile Iranian nationals
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has cancelled the visas and, in two cases, the green-cards of four Iranian nationals he says support Tehran’s regime, arresting two in Los Angeles for deportation. The step extends a broader strategy of using visa revocation to punish perceived security threats and signals heightened compliance risk for employers with Iranian-linked talent.
UK visa, settlement and sponsor fees to increase 6-7 % on 8 April 2026
The Home Office has confirmed that almost all UK visa, settlement and sponsor licence fees will rise by 6-7 % on 8 April 2026. Employers and individual applicants have one weekend left to file under the lower tariff, after which a standard Skilled Worker visa will cost £769 and settlement will exceed £3,200. Corporates are scrambling to submit applications before the deadline and adjust mobility budgets for the new financial year.
Ontario Issues 759 Invitations in First Mining-Focused Provincial Nominee Draw
Ontario’s PNP invited 759 workers in mining and construction occupations, marking its first mining-specific draw. Employers gain a fast track to retain skilled trades and engineering staff, while nominees move a step closer to Canadian permanent residence.
Biometric Checks Postponed for Eurostar and Eurotunnel Passengers as France Misses EES Deadline
France has told Eurostar, Eurotunnel and ferry operators that it will **not** collect fingerprints and facial images from UK passengers on 10 April because the hardware is still not ready, postponing the most disruptive part of the EU’s new Entry/Exit System. The decision heads off Easter-weekend chaos but underscores France’s wider struggle to meet EU border-digitisation deadlines.
MSWiA claims 96 % fall in irregular crossings from Belarus after year of "zero-tolerance" measures
MSWiA says attempted illegal entries from Belarus have plunged 96 % compared with 2022 after a year of emergency measures that suspend the right to claim asylum at the frontier, expand border infrastructure and authorise quick push-backs. Temporary checks on Poland’s borders with Germany and Lithuania will also remain. The news confirms that Warsaw’s hard-line approach is shaping mobility across the eastern flank of the EU and requires travellers and companies to prepare for continued controls.
India Finalises Full Roll-Out of Mandatory e-Arrival Card for All International Passengers
Effective 1 April 2026 India has scrapped paper disembarkation forms and made its digital e-Arrival Card compulsory for all foreign visitors and OCI holders. The move is already cutting immigration wait times and will soon be strictly enforced at airline check-in. Companies should update traveller compliance processes immediately.
Akasa Air Eyes Abu Dhabi Return but Extends Suspensions on Doha, Riyadh and Kuwait Routes
Akasa Air is evaluating a phased resumption of Mumbai/Bengaluru–Abu Dhabi flights after regional security disruptions but has prolonged its Doha, Riyadh and Kuwait suspensions to 12 April. The mixed signal underscores continued volatility in Gulf airspace and forces employers to plan around tight seat inventory for India-to-UAE traffic.
Petrobras Hike of 54.8 % in Jet Fuel Triggers New Round of Air-Fare Increases
Petrobras raised Brazilian jet-fuel prices by 54.8 % on 4 April, allowing only partial deferral of payment. Airlines say they will lift fares and cut marginal routes, while the government studies tax relief. Corporate travel budgets face immediate cost inflation.
Switzerland Re-imposes Visa Requirement for Georgian Diplomatic & Service Passport Holders
Effective 3 April 2026, Georgian holders of diplomatic, official and service passports must obtain a Schengen visa to enter Switzerland. The Swiss Federal Council adopted the rule after the EU triggered its visa-suspension mechanism over concerns about democratic standards in Georgia. The change increases lead times for Swiss organisations hosting Georgian delegations and will last an initial 12 months.
Spain Opens Landmark Regularization Drive for Half-Million Undocumented Migrants
Spain has formally opened a three-month window (1 April–30 June 2026) to regularize an estimated 500,000 undocumented migrants. Eligible applicants must prove they lived in Spain before 31 December 2025. The move is expected to ease labour shortages but creates urgent compliance tasks for employers and could strain immigration offices. Companies should identify affected staff and budget for back-payments immediately.
Finland steps up eastern-border training as “weaponised migration” threat persists
Euronews footage shows Finnish conscripts training for worst-case scenarios along the closed 1,350-km border with Russia. The drills reflect ongoing concerns that Moscow could again funnel migrants toward Finnish checkpoints as a form of hybrid pressure. For companies, the sustained border closure raises freight costs and keeps staff rotations on hold, while travellers should expect tight ID controls in the east.
Holiday rush sees 1.1 million border crossings on first day of Easter–Qingming break
Hong Kong logged more than 1.1 million passenger movements on 3 April, the opening day of the combined Easter–Ching Ming holidays. Land crossings into Shenzhen were the busiest, with Lo Wu topping 240,000 trips. Businesses should plan around renewed congestion on Sunday and Tuesday and encourage staff to use e-Channel services.
Express Entry Trades Draw Invites 3,000 Candidates With 477 CRS Cut-Off
Canada’s 2 April trades-specific Express Entry draw invited 3,000 candidates with a CRS cut-off of 477, lowering the bar for plumbers, welders and other in-demand trades. Employers gain a more stable workforce as temporary employees transition to permanent status.