Council Circulates Brussels Agenda for 3 March Visa Working Party—Georgia’s Waiver Under Review

The Council of the EU issued a meeting notice on 25 February for the Visa Working Party (Mixed Committee) scheduled on 3 March at the Justus Lipsius building in Brussels. According to the provisional agenda, the European Commission will present its first-ever ‘EU Visa Policy Strategy’ and brief delegates on two sensitive files: a framework accord with the United States on security screening data, and a possible activation of the visa-suspension mechanism against Georgia due to irregular-migration concerns. Although largely procedural, the notice matters for Belgian stakeholders because Belgium currently processes around 40,000 Georgian short-stay visas a year—many linked to agricultural seasonal work and logistics. Suspension would force those travellers to apply for standard C-visas, lengthening lead times and potentially raising labour-costs for Belgian employers. The agenda also cites progress on a visa-facilitation agreement with Kazakhstan and sets out the format for future discussions (1 + 2 configuration). Companies that relocate staff from Central Asia or the Caucasus should monitor the March meeting minutes for policy shifts that could affect 2026 hiring plans. Finally, the Council confirms that all member states must move towards 100 % digital visa processing by 2028—information HR and Global Mobility managers can use when planning budget for compliance systems and internal workflows.