UK ready to widen Youth Mobility Scheme to EU nationals under ‘balancing mechanism’ proposal
Barcelona creates fast-track taskforce to process extraordinary immigration regularisation
Finland Sees Sharp Fall in Work- and Study-Based Immigration During 2025
Latest News
USCIS Opens FY 2027 H-1B Registration Window, Confirms $100,000 Petition Fee and Wage-Weighted Lottery
USCIS will accept H-1B cap registrations from 4–19 March 2026 and will apply a wage-weighted lottery plus a new US $100,000 petition fee. Indian employers must reassess salaries and budgets as the cost of sponsoring talent for the United States skyrockets.
Trump Rejects Border Czar’s Plan to Scale Back Minnesota ICE Surge
Border Czar Tom Homan said ICE would start withdrawing agents from Minneapolis, but President Trump immediately reversed the plan, vowing to keep the 3,000-person immigration surge in place. The mixed messages prolong uncertainty for employers, foreign workers and business travelers in Minnesota, who face continued checkpoints, protests and potential work-stoppages.
Senate Funding Bill Stalls as Democrats Demand Limits on ICE Budget
A Senate stop-gap spending bill collapsed over Democrats’ demand to cap ICE surge funding, raising the threat of a federal shutdown on 2 February. A lapse would halt visa services, Global Entry enrollments and E-Verify operations, complicating business travel and foreign-worker onboarding.
Canada to introduce health co-payments for some immigrants under the Interim Federal Health Program
IRCC will introduce prescription and supplemental-care co-payments for IFHP beneficiaries from 1 May 2026. Basic doctor and hospital services remain fully covered. The change aims to curb spiralling programme costs but could raise out-of-pocket expenses for refugee and humanitarian migrants—costs that employers may need to absorb for sponsored hires.
Czech Government Approves €3 Billion Rail Budget, Fast-Tracks Prague Airport Link
Czechia will spend a record €3 billion on rail in 2026, prioritising a €1.65 billion fast rail link between downtown Prague and Václav Havel Airport. The package, funded through a PPP and EU money, also upgrades key freight corridors to Germany, promising faster business-travel times and lower logistics costs.
International Students Account for Half of France’s 2025 Immigration Surge
New Interior-Ministry statistics show France issued nearly 380,000 first residence permits in 2025, up 11 % on 2024; international students accounted for just over half of the total, while standard work permits fell 13 %. The data signal that France’s immigration mix is tilting toward higher education and humanitarian admissions, with tighter enforcement on economic and undocumented migration. Mobility teams will need to pivot toward Passeport Talent routes and prepare for higher fees and new integration requirements in 2026.
Shenzhen–Hong Kong to Launch “GBA Talent Connect” Platform, Offering 2,000 Cross-Boundary Jobs a Year
Shenzhen and Hong Kong have agreed to launch “GBA Talent Connect”, an online platform that will advertise around 2,000 cross-boundary jobs and internships annually, alongside a new HR alliance to harmonise labour rules. The initiative links directly into Hong Kong’s work-visa channels, cutting red tape for foreign professionals shuttling between the two cities. For multinationals, the package promises faster deployments, clearer compliance guidance and subsidised housing—making dual-office staffing models in the GBA more attractive.