Global Mobility News from VisaHQ

A coast-to-coast winter storm grounded over 10,000 flights on January 25, prompting airlines to issue fee-free change waivers and leaving airports from Dallas to Boston deserted. Companies face duty-of-care headaches and cascading delays that could last several days, underscoring the need for robust travel-risk planning.

A polar vortex and blizzard conditions cancelled or delayed more than 900 flights across Canada on 25 January, with Toronto Pearson scrapping 70 % of departures. The disruption stranded business travellers, delayed cargo and forced companies to reschedule meetings and assignments. The incident highlights weather-related mobility risk and the need for more resilient contingency planning.

Austria’s official 2025 statistics show asylum applications down 36 % to 16,284 and deportations up to a record 14,156. Tougher border policing, a freeze on family-reunification visas and stricter document checks drove the change. Businesses face longer security screening for Red-White-Red Card holders and are advised to build extra processing time into 2026 mobility plans.

Belgium’s rail unions have confirmed a national strike from 26–30 January 2026, slashing passenger and freight capacity to roughly one-third of normal levels. International services such as Eurostar and ICE will face significant disruption, and employers are advised to activate remote-work and travel-rebooking plans. Failure to prepare could strand business travellers and interrupt supply chains.

Officials say the forthcoming India–EU Mobility and Migration Partnership will create unified work- and study-permit pathways for Indian nationals across all 27 EU states, addressing Europe’s labour shortages while giving Indian talent greater freedom of movement.

Air France-KLM, Lufthansa Group and several North American carriers have cancelled or rerouted flights serving Gulf hubs after a fresh flare-up between the US and Iran. While UAE carriers remain operational, corporate travel managers are bracing for detours, higher costs and potential capacity constraints.

A 25 January 2026 analysis contends Treasury has underestimated future net-migration, given new student intakes, Pacific and Indian mobility schemes and record temporary-skilled demand. If realised, NOM could exceed official forecasts by 30 000 next year, affecting talent pipelines, housing demand and visa-processing times for employers.

Brazil will abolish short-stay visa requirements for Chinese citizens, giving them visa-free entry for up to 30 days per visit (90 days per year). The reciprocal move follows China’s June 2025 waiver for Brazilians and is expected to boost tourism, trade and executive mobility between the two BRICS partners. Corporates welcome the reduced lead-time, but must still monitor annual stay limits and potential tax-residency triggers.

China’s unprecedented nine-day Spring Festival holiday is expected to set a new outbound-travel record. Online booking data show Thailand has displaced Japan as the most-searched destination, while airlines are adding thousands of extra flights. Business-travel managers face higher fares and limited inventory to Southeast Asia but potential bargains for Japan-bound trips.

Ireland deported 33 Polish and Lithuanian citizens with criminal convictions on a charter flight from Dublin on 25 January 2026. The removals, ordered under EU free-movement rules, include 10-year re-entry bans and signal a tougher enforcement posture that employers should note when relocating EU staff to Ireland.

From 12 to 18 February 2026 Italy’s global visa IT system will be offline for a major upgrade, temporarily halting all visa appointments and issuances. Corporate mobility teams should expect processing delays and adjust travel timelines accordingly.

Crowborough residents staged the largest protest yet against plans to house 500 asylum seekers at a former army camp, highlighting growing local push-back against the government’s drive to replace hotels with large-scale sites. The legal challenge and political fallout could delay future camp roll-outs, affecting duty-of-care considerations for employers and relocation programmes in the region.

Statistics Canada is hiring 32,000 temporary census workers and has opened the roles to valid Canadian work-permit holders. Crew-leader positions are classified as skilled work, allowing foreign staff to count up to 660 hours toward Express Entry’s Canadian Experience Class, creating a valuable stepping-stone to permanent residence. Applications are open until 31 July 2026.

Frankfurt Airport has rolled out APIDS, an AI-based prohibited-item detection system, on every security lane. Early data show faster throughput, which could cut connection times and reduce travel disruption for corporates routing staff through Germany’s busiest hub.

After a one-day precautionary shutdown, Air France has resumed its twice-daily Paris-Dubai service. The airline says new routings mitigate current Gulf air-space risks but may extend flight times. Corporates reliant on the route should review traveller-tracking, connection buffers and cargo cut-offs.

On 25 January Austria deported a six-time-convicted Afghan national, signalling that forced returns to Afghanistan are becoming routine again. The move underscores the government’s strict public-order approach and could lengthen background checks for Afghan and Syrian work-permit applicants.

TEC unions have confirmed a 26–30 January strike across Wallonia’s entire bus-and-tram network, with no guaranteed minimum service. The action will magnify the impact of the simultaneous national rail strike, leaving many expatriates and business travellers without reliable last-mile transport. Employers should prepare multilingual contingency plans and consider temporary accommodation or remote-work alternatives.

U.S. consulates in India are issuing record numbers of section 221(g) notices after expanding mandatory social-media and criminal-history checks. The resulting visa delays are stranding H-1B employees abroad, disrupting projects and forcing companies to rethink travel timelines.

Border Guard data published on 25 January show fewer than 20 irregular crossing attempts from Belarus so far this month—an unprecedented low. A reinforced barrier, EU pressure on Minsk and Poland’s continued internal-border checks are credited for the fall. The respite reduces immediate disruption for companies moving staff or freight, but officials urge businesses to keep compliance and contingency plans in place as numbers could rebound in spring.