News

USCIS guidance issued Oct 20 and publicized Oct 24 limits the new US$100,000 H-1B fee to petitions for workers outside the U.S. or cases requesting consular notification, sparing most in-country extensions and amendments. Employers must attach pay.gov receipts or exemption letters at filing, but existing H-1B holders remain unaffected. The narrower rule eases immediate cost concerns for U.S. businesses while legal challenges to the proclamation proceed.

The Interior Ministry’s annual report shows France refused nearly 580,000 visa applications in 2024, up 14 % year-on-year, although the overall refusal rate slipped to 16.6 %. The figures signal heightened scrutiny on documentation, with Maghreb nationals most affected. Employers sending staff to France should reinforce compliance checks to avoid costly refusals.

The Federal Council has launched a consultation on an ordinance that would prohibit most asylum-seekers from leaving Switzerland, except in exceptional humanitarian cases. The move, unveiled on 24 October, seeks to close perceived loopholes and aligns Swiss practice with tougher travel restrictions elsewhere in Europe. Businesses will need to verify employees’ status before authorising travel, and mobility teams should prepare for stricter compliance checks.

Spain has begun collecting biometric data under the EU Entry/Exit System, scrapped passport stamping and warned travellers of longer queues. Simultaneously, the Balearics, Barcelona and other regions are hiking tourist levies and extending strict alcohol, rental and beach rules aimed at curbing mass tourism. The changes will raise compliance costs and travel times for holidaymakers and business visitors alike—issues that corporate mobility teams must factor into budgets, itineraries and employee briefings.

A first-hand report from the Citywest transit hub details how 2,400 migrants endured nights of unrest after far-right protests erupted outside. The violence highlights security risks around Ireland’s largest reception centre, complicating accommodation and duty-of-care planning for employers relocating staff. Officials may relocate future centres away from Dublin, with knock-on travel-cost implications.

An industry circular dated 24 October confirms that Italy’s new quota decree authorises 497,550 non-EU work permits for 2026-2028 and details application timelines, employer caps and an extended caregiver fast-track. The three-year horizon allows longer-range workforce planning, but large employers will have to work around a three-permit-per-year cap.

On October 23 USCIS confirmed that the new US $100,000 H-1B surcharge applies only to petitions filed abroad on or after September 21 — not to extensions, amendments or transfers for workers already in the U.S. The agency’s clarification averts widespread over-payments but leaves employers recruiting overseas talent facing a massive fee increase while lawsuits proceed.

Decree 12.657/2025, publicised on 23 Oct 2025, lets business-visitor (VIVIS) holders perform short-term technical assistance and technology-transfer work under a contract with a Brazilian entity, removing the old requirement for a temporary work visa. Paid employment remains barred, but the change slashes lead times for corporate assignments and aligns Brazil with mobility norms in other G20 economies.

Italy opened the pre-filling phase for 164,850 non-EU work permits under the 2026–2028 *Decreto Flussi* on 23 October. Employers have until 7 December to prepare applications for four January–February click days. The expanded quota—part of a three-year plan totalling nearly half a million permits—aims to fill chronic labour shortages while preserving strict controls on irregular migration.

Effective 23 October 2025, donors contributing AED 2 million or more to certified endowments can secure a sponsor-free, 10-year UAE Golden Visa. The initiative links long-term residency to measurable philanthropic impact, broadens Dubai’s talent-attraction toolbox and offers multinationals a new mobility option for senior executives committed to CSR.

The 23 October 2025 European Council summit set new benchmarks for Schengen border technology, stepped-up returns of irregular migrants and creation of an EU anti-smuggling centre. France, as a key entry hub, must now accelerate EES roll-out and improve its low return rate—moves that will tighten compliance requirements for travellers and globally mobile staff.

Spain’s Democratic Memory Law, which let descendants of Civil-War and Franco-era exiles reclaim nationality, stopped accepting new applications at 23:59 on 22 October 2025. Existing applicants with a confirmed appointment can still file documents, but no new cases may be opened. The closure removes a popular fast-track citizenship route for Latin-American talent and prompts calls for a permanent ancestry scheme.

Shanghai police will offer a fully paperless port e-visa to all accredited China International Import Expo participants, expanding eligibility beyond local hosts and allowing exhibitors to convert on-arrival passes into short-term residence permits. The measure promises sub-two-minute clearance and underscores China’s push to streamline business travel for major trade events.

A 22 October USCIS update confirms that the $100,000 H-1B fee applies only to petitions requiring consular processing; extensions, amendments, employer changes and in-country status changes are exempt. The clarification lets universities and companies move existing foreign talent internally without incurring six-figure costs, but still makes hiring directly from abroad far more expensive.

IRCC has extended the open work-permit option for Temporary-Resident-to-Permanent-Resident applicants to 31 December 2026, giving eligible workers and their families two more years of work authorization while permanent-residence files are processed. The move reduces administrative burden for employers, offers greater status security for assignees and eases pressure on IRCC processing streams.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told French media that roughly 700,000 undocumented migrants live in France—confirming a higher estimate amid a heated debate on the government’s forthcoming Immigration Control Bill. The figure is intended to counter far-right claims of under-reporting and foreshadows stricter workplace inspections and liability rules for companies employing foreign staff.

Law 61/2025, published on 22 October, abolishes Portugal’s open job-seeking visa and freezes new applications at consulates in Brazil. A more restrictive “qualified job-seeking visa” will replace it once regulations are issued, creating an immediate gap for Brazilian workers and Portuguese employers who relied on the popular route.

Switzerland’s three main airports experienced their first high-volume test of the EU’s new biometric Entry/Exit System on 22 October. Average processing times doubled, but remained manageable, prompting airports and employers to issue new arrival-time guidance. Once initial enrolments are complete, Swiss authorities expect faster crossings and better overstay controls—critical for business travellers and expatriates.

The Security Bureau told LegCo that new manpower and IT measures keep 98 % of Hong Kong residents under a 15-minute wait at land borders and that late-night extensions will be activated during surges. The plan promises smoother cross-boundary commuting for business travellers and assignees.