Global Mobility News from VisaHQ

Poland has confirmed that, from 1 January 2026, all residence-permit applications must be filed online via the MOS portal, with qualified e-signatures, and that related government fees will at least quadruple. HR teams must migrate workflows immediately and budget for higher costs, or risk rejected filings and assignment delays. The move illustrates Warsaw’s push for full digital immigration processing—and the compliance challenges that come with it.

DHS has issued a draft rule that would require all ESTA applicants from Visa Waiver Program countries to disclose five years of social-media handles and 10 years of e-mail addresses. The U.S. Travel Association says the plan could scare off millions of visitors and damage tourism; European officials hint at retaliation. Multinationals must prepare for longer processing times and advise travelers on digital-privacy risks.

The High Court has ruled that long-standing Home Office procedures for identifying vulnerable detainees are unlawful, exposing thousands to degrading treatment. The judgment will likely trigger compensation claims and accelerate pressure for community-based alternatives to detention—changes that could influence how businesses manage immigration compliance and duty of care.

Border guards used vibration sensors to detect a new migrant-smuggling tunnel from Belarus; 130 people were detained. Poland has responded with a €18 m package for advanced ground-penetrating radar and drones, signalling stricter frontier surveillance that could slow legitimate travel and cargo through the region.

Home Affairs has activated Ministerial Direction 115, introducing a three-tier priority queue for offshore Student-visa applications lodged from 14 November onward. Fast-track status now depends on how far each education provider is below (or above) its government-set intake quota, with potential waits of up to 12 weeks for over-subscribed universities. Mobility managers and education agents will need to monitor quota dashboards closely to avoid costly enrolment delays.

A severe fog episode on 15 December paralysed Delhi’s IGI Airport, forcing 228 flight cancellations and five diversions. The disruption stranded thousands of travellers, delayed cargo and is expected to cascade through airline schedules for another day. Companies with employees on the move should expect ongoing knock-on delays and build weather contingencies into Q4 travel plans.

New IRCC statistics show Canada admitted 53 % fewer international students and temporary foreign workers in the first nine months of 2025 than in 2024. The steep decline follows tighter caps, higher proof-of-funds thresholds and stricter document verification. Universities, seasonal employers and mobility teams should expect continued supply constraints and plan alternative recruitment or provincial pathways.

Nearly 400 flights were cancelled at São Paulo’s airports after a cyclone knocked out power across Brazil’s economic hub. Airlines issued waivers, but crew mis-positioning and cargo backlogs are rippling nationwide, forcing companies to delay meetings and activate remote-work plans.

A 24-hour strike on 15 December is disrupting schools, municipal offices and traffic in Brussels and Wallonia. Although STIB is running, road closures and reduced consular services pose challenges for business travellers, expatriate families and scheduled immigration appointments. Employers should activate contingency travel and childcare plans and monitor for additional industrial actions in the new year.

Cyprus triggered its “Estia” emergency plan after 30 Israel-bound aircraft were forced to land at Larnaca and Pafos, sheltering 2,400 unexpected passengers and issuing 48-hour transit visas on the spot. The smooth operation underscores Cyprus’ value as a diversion hub and offers companies clear guidance on crisis routing, visa compliance and contingency accommodation. For mobility managers the incident highlights the need to maintain updated emergency playbooks for staff travelling in the volatile Eastern Mediterranean.

ASTRA, SBB and Zurich Airport have issued an unprecedented joint alert about severe congestion expected over the Christmas and New-Year holiday peak. Extra trains and airport measures will help, but travellers—and the companies that move them—should prepare for delays, early check-ins and visa lead times. The notice is highly relevant for corporate mobility teams planning year-end travel and relocations.

Bill C-3, which took effect on 15 December 2025, removes the first-generation limit on citizenship by descent. Canadians born abroad can now pass citizenship to their foreign-born children if they prove three years of prior residence in Canada, while thousands previously excluded (“Lost Canadians”) become eligible immediately. The reform eases compliance burdens for globally mobile Canadian professionals and their employers.

Andrej Babiš was sworn in as prime minister on 15 December 2025 at the head of a coalition that includes the anti-immigration SPD. The new government wants stricter deportations, tougher Schengen border checks and a review of foreign-worker quotas—moves that could lengthen processing times and complicate corporate staffing plans. Mobility teams should expect policy volatility in early 2026.

Migri will automatically prolong all Ukrainian temporary-protection residence permits to 4 March 2027. No new application is needed; beneficiaries will receive confirmation letters that employers and service providers must accept as proof of lawful stay. The move gives businesses and families planning security and keeps Finland aligned with EU obligations.

EMN Ireland’s latest annual review shows a 16 % drop in overall immigration to Ireland in the year to April 2025, largely because arrivals from Ukraine have slowed. At the same time, International Protection applications jumped 40 % in 2024, although 2025 numbers are now trending 40 % lower. The figures will shape upcoming permit-salary reforms and signal continued political focus on migration volumes.

Effective 15 December, all H-1B and H-4 visa applicants must set every social-media account to public mode before interview, allowing consular officers to review at least five years of online posts. Employers should audit social-media use and brace for longer adjudications; privacy groups are preparing legal challenges.

A DRC national barred from citizenship for entering the UK illegally has secured a reversal after mounting a High Court challenge. The breakthrough exposes legal vulnerabilities in the Home Office’s controversial ‘good-character’ rules and opens a pathway for thousands of refugees to regularise status—an issue employers must track for staff with humanitarian backgrounds.