Global Mobility News from VisaHQ

IRCC figures released 20 January 2026 show more than one million immigration files—32 percent of Express Entry cases—are now backlogged, the highest level since 2022. Longer wait times threaten corporate relocation timelines and Canada’s credibility as a talent hub, prompting calls for faster automation and alternative work-permit strategies.

Wallonia and Brussels have published new, higher salary thresholds that employers must meet to obtain or renew Highly-Skilled Permits, EU Blue Cards and ICT permits in 2026. Pending and future filings must be updated immediately or risk rejection, and existing permit holders’ pay must be audited for compliance. Flanders is expected to announce similar increases within days. The rises will raise assignment costs and could affect hiring plans for Belgium-based headquarters and R&D centres.

From 26 January 2026, the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link will run 415 trains a day—up 14 percent—making it China’s busiest high-speed corridor. New direct services to Nanjing, Wuxi and Hefei expand the number of mainland stations linked to Hong Kong to 110 and cut door-to-door travel times for business travellers. The move supports Greater Bay Area integration and is expected to ease peak-season congestion while shifting more short-haul trips from air to rail.

Responding to lawmakers on 21 January, Hong Kong labour chief Chris Sun detailed tougher rules and fresh statistics aimed at stopping abuse of the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme. Applications and approvals for imported catering staff have already fallen sharply, 24 employers have been sanctioned, and nearly 20,000 illegal-worker raids were mounted in 2025. Companies must brace for stricter compliance checks and a possible policy overhaul in 2026.

The Council of Ministers has approved a draft legislative decree that creates a single, fully digital application for non-EU nationals who wish to live and work in Italy. Processing times will be capped at 90 days, employees will gain greater job-mobility rights, and short periods of unemployment will no longer void the permit. Once enacted, the reform should significantly shorten assignment lead times and simplify corporate immigration compliance.

On 20 January 2026 IRCC invited 681 provincial-nominee candidates in its first Express Entry draw of the year, setting a hefty CRS cut-off of 746. The move highlights Ottawa’s reliance on provinces to steer immigration to regions with acute labour shortages and encourages employers to leverage PNP pathways for faster talent acquisition.

A Fragomen alert dated 21 January 2026 confirms that France’s minimum wage now stands at €1,823.03 gross per month and that salary thresholds for key ‘Talent Passport’ permits have increased (e.g., EU Blue Card €59,373; Qualified Employee €39,582). Employers must review current assignee pay and adjust new offers or risk permit refusals. Fixed, taxable salary elements count toward the thresholds; discretionary allowances do not.

DGCA said on 21 January that IndiGo has promised zero flight cancellations even after its FDTL exemptions expire on 10 February 2026. The commitment averts major schedule risk for business travellers who rely on the carrier’s dense domestic network.

The State Department has halted immigrant-visa processing for citizens of 75 countries, effective immediately. The move, justified as a vetting and public-charge measure, could block nearly half of all employment- and family-based green-cards over the next year and will force employers to rely on temporary visas or relocate talent elsewhere.

Vienna Airport will shed 200 jobs after downgrading its 2026 passenger forecast to 30 million. The cuts follow Wizz Air’s decision to abandon its Vienna base and Ryanair’s capacity reduction, while Austrian Airlines rationalises its fleet. Fewer low-cost flights and higher taxes could raise travel costs and reduce flexibility for business travellers using Vienna as a Central-European hub.

Parliament has passed two urgent bills that criminalise extremist hate speech and give the Home Affairs Minister broad, immediate powers to cancel or refuse visas on public-safety grounds. The package also tightens firearms rules and border-inspection powers. Global employers must strengthen social-media vetting and prepare for faster, tougher visa cancellations.

Cyprus deported 164 foreign inmates and facilitated 479 other returns between 10 December 2025 and 20 January 2026, easing severe prison overcrowding and signalling a tougher stance on irregular migration. Businesses employing third-country nationals are advised to ensure full immigration compliance as enforcement intensifies.

A minor electrical fault forced Air Force One to return to Washington, delaying President Trump’s WEF arrival by two hours. Zurich Airport and Swiss air-traffic control kept the slot system stable, enabling the president’s helicopter transfer to Davos and preventing wider disruption to the 1,000 extra WEF-related flights. The smooth recovery shows Switzerland’s WEF air-security plan can absorb VIP shocks, but travel managers should still plan for pop-up curfew waivers, manifest checks and tighter slot discipline this week.