Global Mobility News from VisaHQ

As part of a wider trade accord unveiled on 29 January, India will let EU banks open 15 branches and lift insurance FDI limits, while the EU commits to uniform three-year work visas, faster processing and future social-security coordination for Indian employees. The pact gives Indian firms much-needed certainty over European assignments and opens new mobility channels for AYUSH and ICT talent.

China will allow UK citizens to enter visa-free for up to 30 days, a breakthrough secured during UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Beijing visit. The change will slash visa costs for companies, simplify short-term assignments and signals warmer bilateral ties, though work activities will still require permits.

On 29 January 2026, Cypriot lawmakers voted to shorten the appeal period for rejected asylum seekers from 30 to 20 days (and from 15 to 10 days in fast-track cases). The government says the change will curb procedural abuse and speed up removals; rights groups warn it could erode due-process safeguards. Employers should note the faster timelines as Cyprus toughens immigration enforcement ahead of its EU Council Presidency.

Cathay Pacific and HK Express carried 36 million passengers in 2025, 27 % more than in 2024, and set a single-day record of 125,000 travellers on 27 December. Capacity growth, the new three-runway system and strong demand to the Chinese mainland underpin the rebound. The data signal tighter seat availability and firmer fares for business travellers and assignees moving through Hong Kong in early 2026.

Brussels has published its first comprehensive EU Visa Strategy, pairing tighter security with measures to boost competitiveness and attract global talent. Because Ireland aligns with much of the EU migration acquis, the initiative foreshadows digitised procedures, longer-validity visas and new funding streams that Irish employers can leverage. HR teams should prepare for the 2026 EES/ETIAS rollout and engage early in Ireland’s forthcoming “single permit” reforms.

On 29 January 2026 the European Commission released a five-year Migration and Talent Strategy that singles out Italy as one of four EU states under significant migratory pressure. The plan couples tougher return policies with expanded ‘Talent Partnerships’ to fill skill gaps, backed by at least €81 billion in EU funding. Italian firms could benefit from faster skills-visa channels, while facing stricter compliance checks on overstays.

The Senate failed to advance a six-bill spending package because Democrats refused to back DHS funding without statutory limits on ICE and CBP practices. The standoff heightens the risk of a weekend shutdown that could suspend E-Verify, slow visa processing and disrupt business travel. Employers should brace for operational delays even if a short-term fix emerges.

IRCC has told would-be FIFA World Cup 26 visitors that spectator visas do **not** confer the right to claim asylum. Officers will refuse or turn back applicants who appear likely to overstay. The move seeks to curb online scams pitching ‘World Cup work visas’ and protect Canada’s refugee system from abuse.

A powerful snowstorm on 29 January shut down parts of Czechia’s highway, rail and public-transport networks, disrupting commuter flows and supply chains. Business-travel managers are advising staff to postpone non-essential journeys, and the Interior Ministry is offering limited flexibility on missed immigration appointments. The episode underscores the need for robust winter-weather contingencies in mobility programmes.

The Federal Council has confirmed that quota limits for Croatian nationals expired on 1 January 2026 and will not be re-introduced. Croatian citizens can now access Switzerland’s labour market under full EU/EFTA free-movement rules, streamlining hiring processes for Swiss employers and removing an administrative hurdle for multinational mobility teams.

Brussels released its first EU-wide Visa Strategy on 29 January, promising fully digital Schengen visas, interoperable border databases and new incentives to lure foreign innovators. For Brazilian travellers and companies this means faster, paper-free visa filing, tighter data-consistency requirements and potential fast-track pathways for tech talent. Firms should review internal mobility policies now to leverage upcoming pilot programmes and avoid compliance snags once the Entry/Exit System and ETIAS come online.

The European Commission unveiled its first EU Visa Strategy and a talent-attraction Recommendation on 29 January 2026. The package combines tougher controls on visa-free travel with plans to digitise applications fully and offer longer multiple-entry visas, while urging Member States to create quicker, simpler residence routes for innovators and skilled workers. Belgium will need to adapt consular, border-control and single-permit procedures in response, making the news highly relevant to employers moving staff into or through Belgium.

The IAA’s first Annual Report, released 29 January 2026, shows a sharp increase in audits and criminal prosecutions of unregulated immigration advisers and warns of more proactive enforcement in 2026/27. Employers and mobility providers offering in-house or outsourced visa advice will face greater scrutiny, new CPD obligations and tighter data-sharing with the Home Office, raising compliance and reputational risks.

Journalists revealed that the Albanese Government has awarded more than A$3 billion in detention contracts to Management and Training Corporation, a US firm repeatedly criticised for human-rights abuses in ICE facilities. Rights groups and opposition MPs say the deal undermines Australia’s commitment to humane treatment of migrants, while Home Affairs insists MTC Australia meets local standards. The row highlights the reputational and compliance risks multinationals face when relocating staff to Australia amid ongoing detention-policy turbulence.

The EU adopted its first Visa Strategy on 29 January 2026. Key elements include stricter monitoring of visa-waiver regimes, digitalised Schengen visa filing, and longer-validity multiple-entry visas. Austrian companies can expect faster processing, new consular funding and future one-stop help desks for incoming talent—changes that could cut travel costs and speed project start-ups.