EU postpones full biometric border rollout to September 2026, easing immediate pressure on UK summer travellers
GCC ‘Grand Tours’ Visa enters pilot phase, promising Schengen-style travel across six Gulf states
‘No more visa hopping’: Australia’s tougher migration framework takes effect
Latest News
Rights Groups Sue Over 75-Country U.S. Visa Ban
A lawsuit filed 2 February challenges the new proclamation barring visas for nationals of 75 mostly non-European countries, claiming it is discriminatory and illegal. The outcome will determine whether tens of thousands of family, student and work visas can resume, directly affecting U.S. employers and universities that depend on global talent.
Brazil Lengthens Visitor Visas for Angolan Nationals to Five Years
Effective 1 February 2026, Brazil has extended the validity of its visitor visa for Angolan citizens from two to five years. Each stay is still capped at 90 days, with a 180-day annual limit, but travellers and employers gain longer planning horizons and fewer consular renewals. The change, framed as reciprocity and a CPLP test case, promises cost savings for mobility programmes in energy, shipping and education while strengthening Brazil–Angola ties.
Ottawa Begins Immigration ‘Right-Sizing’ With New 2026-28 Levels Plan
Canada’s 2026-28 Immigration Levels Plan, revealed 2 February 2026, trims permanent-resident targets to 380,000 a year and slashes new temporary worker and student permits. The goal is to shrink the temporary-resident share of the population below 5 percent while shifting resources to permanent pathways for talent already in Canada. Universities and low-wage employers face the biggest adjustments, but priority lanes for graduate students and in-country workers aim to preserve high-skill inflows.
Four-hour queues hit Geneva Airport as EU biometric Entry/Exit System goes live
Geneva Airport recorded queues of up to four hours for non-EU nationals on 2 February after Switzerland activated the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) at the border. The biometric checks—now mandatory ahead of full EU-wide implementation in April—caught many passengers unawares and forced airlines to delay flights. Companies should update Swiss travel policies and allow extra time for arriving staff and visitors.
China introduces 15-second ‘fast-track’ lane for foreign truck drivers at Youyi Guan border
China has activated an automated ‘fast-track’ clearance lane at the Youyi Guan border gate with Vietnam, cutting inspection times for each truck to 15 seconds and, for the first time, allowing foreign drivers to use the e-gate system. The move eases pre-Lunar-New-Year congestion and showcases Beijing’s wider Smart-Port ambitions.
Technical delays keep Parafe e-gates closed to British & American residents in France
Paris airports confirm that Parafe e-gates will stay closed to non-EU residents— including thousands of British and US citizens—until at least the summer because of slow IT work on the new EU Entry/Exit System. Business travellers should prepare for longer queues and repeated biometric checks.
Finland’s 2025 immigration figures show first downturn in five years
New data from Finland’s Immigration Service show total immigration applications fell 8 % in 2025—the first annual decline since the pandemic. Work-based permits dropped 25 % and student permits 4 %, signaling potential talent-pipeline issues for employers. Migri still approved 80 % of cases but warns of longer processing times as stricter residence-rules bed in. Companies should plan for tighter compliance, higher salary thresholds and possible delays when assigning staff to Finland.
India raises duty-free allowance to ₹75,000 under new Baggage Rules 2026
From 2 February 2026, passengers arriving in India can bring goods worth ₹75,000 (≈ US$900) duty-free, while foreign tourists may import up to ₹25,000. The Baggage Rules 2026 replace the 2016 framework, lift jewellery allowances and maintain exclusions for alcohol, tobacco and electronics. The change eases customs formalities and lowers import costs for returning residents, expatriates and business travellers.
St Brigid’s Bank Holiday Pushes Dublin Airport to Near-Capacity With 400,000 Travellers
Dublin Airport expects almost 400,000 passengers over the St Brigid’s Day long weekend, straining facilities already operating above their formal 32 million-passenger cap. The mini-peak will test new security scanners and fast-track lanes and could influence Government plans to abolish the cap permanently. For airlines and corporate travellers the weekend offers higher capacity but also weather-related disruption risks.
Spain to grant legal status to 500,000 undocumented migrants in historic regularisation drive
Spain’s government has approved a royal decree that will regularise about 500,000 undocumented migrants and asylum-seekers from April 2026. Beneficiaries will receive one-year residence permits convertible to standard categories, giving them full labour-market access. The move is expected to ease skills shortages and expand Spain’s tax base, although it faces opposition from conservative parties. Employers should prepare to integrate newly regularised talent and monitor processing timelines.
February Strike Wave to Disrupt Air, Rail and Metro Services Across Italy
A 2 February bulletin lists 26 strikes affecting Italian aviation, rail and urban transport in February 2026. Key flashpoints include a Trenord walk-out on 2 February, a national aviation strike on 16 February and a 24-hour FS Group rail stoppage on 27-28 February. Companies should expect flight and train cancellations, longer airport transfer times and potential knock-on effects during the Milan-Cortina Olympics.
EU pushes full rollout of biometric Entry/Exit System to September amid French airport bottlenecks
Brussels has shifted the deadline for full EES implementation from April to September 2026 after data from Paris and other hubs showed processing times up 70 %. The reprieve gives French authorities longer to fix kiosks and adapt Parafe gates, but extends months of patchwork procedures that slow business travel.
Abu Dhabi Dialogue sets AI-driven roadmap for smarter labour mobility between Asia and the Gulf
The 8th Abu Dhabi Dialogue concluded in Dubai with a joint plan to digitise labour-mobility governance across the Asia-GCC corridor. Key measures include AI-driven skills-matching, electronic worker credentials and smarter labour-inspection systems—changes that will speed up UAE hiring processes while raising protection standards for migrant workers.
AFP charges Somalia-born resident over electronic-monitoring and curfew breaches
A 32-year-old Somalia-born visa-holder was arrested in Melbourne today for repeatedly breaching court-ordered curfews and disabling his ankle tracker. The AFP’s quick resort to criminal charges underscores the federal government’s tougher post-detention compliance stance and highlights the need for employers to monitor sponsored staff obligations carefully.
Record 9.5 billion passenger trips forecast as China’s 40-day Spring-Festival travel rush kicks off
China’s 2026 Spring-Festival travel rush has begun, with authorities predicting an unprecedented 9.5 billion journeys. Extra trains and flights should ease pressure, but business travellers face expensive, crowded transport and potential production slow-downs.
Wizz Air adds Varna route and boosts 12 other services from Larnaca for summer 2026
Wizz Air will base another aircraft at Larnaca this summer, open a new Varna route and increase frequencies on 12 existing services— including daily London Gatwick flights. The expansion deepens Cyprus’ connectivity, supports corporate mobility programmes and could drive airport volumes past 14 million passengers in 2026.