Global Mobility News from VisaHQ

Warsaw has prolonged its emergency regulation that blocks most asylum applications at the Belarusian land border for another 60 days, starting 21 January 2026. Only a handful of humanitarian exceptions apply; everyone else must seek protection elsewhere. The measure keeps migration pressure off the Podlaskie frontier but forces employers and travellers to plan alternative routes.

India’s passport now ranks 80th worldwide, yet visa-free or visa-on-arrival access has shrunk to 55 destinations after Iran and Bolivia tightened rules. The change forces Indian corporates to secure advance visas for two popular markets, adding cost and lead-time to trips. Mobility teams must update travel guidance and budgeting to reflect the new requirements.

India and the UAE signed a wide-ranging agreement that will streamline student visas, recognise academic credits, and create joint degree programmes, with a 48-hour e-visa turnaround and post-study work rights. The move strengthens talent flows between two fast-growing markets and gives employers a larger, work-ready graduate pool.

USCIS has issued a final rule increasing 15-day premium-processing fees for most work and student immigration filings by roughly 6 percent effective 1 March 2026. Employers and universities should adjust budgets and filing strategies now because any petitions post-marked on or after that date must include the higher amount or risk rejection. The move, authorised by the USCIS Stabilization Act, adds new cost pressure but promises reinvestment in backlog reduction.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves will announce in Davos that companies making high-value ‘trailblazer’ investments will be able to reclaim the visa fees they pay when sponsoring key foreign staff. The pilot, capped at 2,000 workers, also promises five-day processing of sponsor licences. The move lowers entry costs for multinationals and signals Labour’s intent to compete aggressively for advanced-sector projects.

IRCC has set aside 5,000 additional PR selection spaces for French-speaking newcomers in 2026, giving provinces more flexibility to invite bilingual candidates through their PNPs and other pilots. The move supports Ottawa’s goal of raising the share of Francophone admissions outside Quebec and could speed up PR pathways for French-speaking talent that businesses need.

All statutory processing deadlines in Polish immigration and asylum cases remain suspended until at least 4 March 2026, meaning authorities face no sanctions for slow decisions while applicants’ own time limits still run. The freeze, grounded in the Ukrainian Special Act, extends chronic case backlogs and forces employers to build longer lead-times into assignment planning.

Interior ministers Gerhard Karner and Sándor Pintér have signed a supplementary accord that modernises Austria-Hungary border policing, introduces mixed patrols equipped with biometric scanners and expands opening hours at regional crossings. The move aims to keep irregular migration low ahead of the EU-wide Entry/Exit System go-live in April 2026 and should give businesses more predictable road links between Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest.

U.S. consulates in India are issuing far more 221(g) temporary refusals, driven by mandatory social-media reviews and deeper background checks. Even well-documented H-1B and student applicants face months-long delays, squeezing Indian IT and engineering firms that rely on rapid staff rotation. Employers should pre-screen online profiles and plan for extended lead times.

More than 3,000 delegates and 65 heads of state began arriving on 19 January, forcing Zurich and Geneva airports to impose unprecedented slot and parking restrictions. Road and rail links into Davos face tight security screening, and air-space LS-R 13 is closed. Companies need contingency plans for flight delays, hotel shortages and higher travel costs.

Fedpol has switched on special police powers for the WEF, allowing on-the-spot entry bans and reinforced border checks. Business-aviation slots, road access to Davos and even rail services face tighter controls, meaning longer transit times for corporate travellers. Companies should adjust travel schedules and ensure executives carry complete documentation.

Lufthansa has halted all flights to Tehran until 29 March 2026 and will continue to avoid most Iranian airspace. Austrian Airlines flights are also suspended. The move, triggered by EU safety guidance after unrest in Iran, forces German corporates to reroute travellers and freight, lengthening journeys and squeezing cargo capacity.

Effective 1 January 2026, the Interior Ministry’s new Foreigners Information System automatically verifies whether non-EU residents have completed the mandatory Adaptation & Integration Course before approving any residence-permit renewal. Failure to attend the four-hour class can now trigger fines or a hold on extension applications, ending years of lax enforcement. HR teams need to check expatriate files and book remaining places quickly to avoid work-authorisation gaps.

A think-tank paper published 20 January 2026 shows that net immigration has lifted Spain’s population to the brink of 50 million, with foreign-born residents now representing almost one in five people and supplying 44 % of 2025 job growth. The data confirm that immigration—not births—is driving Spain’s demographic and economic outlook, creating both opportunities and integration challenges for employers.

From 20 January 2026 until year-end, overseas visitors arriving at Hong Kong International Airport can claim free direct coach tickets to Macao under a promotion by the Macao Government Tourism Office. The programme aims to revive Macao’s international business and leisure traffic by leveraging Hong Kong’s wider flight network and cutting both cost and journey time for travellers. Corporates gain a no-fee, guaranteed transfer option across the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge—valuable for meetings and events that twin the two SARs.

Effective 1 March 2026, Emirates will boost its Dubai–Manila service to 25 flights a week, adding 1,100 daily seats and extra cargo space. The move alleviates fare pressure for Filipino expatriates, offers corporates better inventory during peak periods, and strengthens Dubai’s position as a South-east Asia gateway.