National strike to ground all flights at Brussels and Charleroi on 12 March – travel warning issued
Spain Extends Universal Healthcare to Undocumented Migrants
UK Tightens Schengen Travel Advisory as Italy Finalises Biometric Border Roll-out
Latest News
Australia Tightens Training Visa 407: Sponsorship and Nomination Must Be Approved Before Lodgement
A legislative instrument registered on 10 March 2026 requires sponsors to obtain both Temporary-Activities Sponsorship approval and an approved Training Nomination before a Subclass 407 Training visa can be lodged. The change ends concurrent filings, aims to curb “permanent-temporariness”, and lengthens lead-times for corporate trainee programmes. Employers must adjust mobility timelines or consider alternative visa strategies.
UAE airlines begin phased flight resumption as airspace gradually reopens
Wego’s latest update confirms that Emirates, Etihad, flydubai and Air Arabia have resumed selected services from UAE hubs after last week’s airspace closures. Schedules remain fluid, so companies should monitor flights in real time and budget for continued routing detours that extend journey times by several hours.
China’s Expanding Visa-Free ‘Circle of Friends’ Drives Record Inbound Travel
CCTV reports that China now offers visa-free entry to citizens of 50 countries and mutual waivers with 29 more. Visa-free travellers already account for 73 percent of all foreign entries, helping push 2025 inbound visits to 150 million and spending to US$130 billion. Easier entry, digital payment upgrades and expanded transit waivers are removing friction for tourists and corporate assignees, with more countries expected to join the scheme under the 15th Five-Year Plan.
Mahmood unveils toughest UK immigration shake-up in a generation
The Home Secretary has announced a sweeping reform package that: 1) activates an emergency ‘visa brake’ on four high-risk nationalities; 2) doubles the standard route to settlement from five to ten years; and 3) shortens initial refugee protection to 30 months with voluntary-return incentives. Businesses, universities and migrants face new compliance and workforce-planning risks, while highly skilled and NHS routes retain preferential treatment.
Union Cabinet Elevates Madurai Airport to International Status
The Union Cabinet has conferred international status on Madurai Airport, paving the way for direct overseas flights, full Customs and Immigration posts and duty-free facilities. The move will cut cargo and passenger transit times, boost regional industry and triple foreign tourist arrivals, giving mobility managers a new, less-congested international gateway in southern India.
Austria issues updated Middle East travel warning and scales back assisted evacuations
Austria’s Foreign Ministry raised its Middle-East risk levels on 10 March and called on remaining citizens to use commercial exits while they last. Assisted evacuations continue but at reduced volume, with over 1 300 people already moved. The alert forces companies to halt discretionary travel and reroute cargo flows, underlining the importance of real-time traveller tracking.
State Department Revives Passport Requirement for Diversity Visa Lottery Entrants
A final rule published 10 March 2026 re-imposes the passport requirement for the U.S. Diversity Visa lottery, effective 30 days after Federal Register publication. Applicants must now hold a valid passport when they submit their online entry, a step the State Department says will curb fraud. Global mobility teams should alert foreign staff that obtaining a passport is now a prerequisite, raising cost and timing hurdles—especially in low-income countries.
UK tightens travel guidance for Switzerland ahead of EU biometric border launch
On 10 March 2026 the UK FCDO warned that passports for Switzerland (and the wider Schengen area) must meet tighter issue-date and validity rules and that the EU’s biometric Entry/Exit System will start on 10 April 2026. Businesses must brace for longer queues, stricter carrier checks and real-time 90/180-day enforcement, while ensuring travellers’ passports and travel histories are compliant.
Portugal ends postal visa applications for Brazilians
From 17 April 2026, Brazilians will no longer be able to courier Portuguese visa applications; they must appear in person at VFS Global centres or consulates. Lisbon says in-person biometrics will cut fraud and incomplete files, but Brazilian companies must now fund extra travel and time off work so staff can attend appointments. The move aligns Portugal with other Schengen countries and signals a wider EU trend toward face-to-face visa processing.
China Airlifts 10,000 Citizens Home as Middle-East Conflict Disrupts Flights
The foreign ministry said on 10 March that over 10,000 Chinese citizens—and the largest single group of stranded Taiwan travellers—have been flown home from the Middle East on emergency flights arranged with Chinese carriers. Dedicated immigration lanes and pre-clearance cut arrival processing times, illustrating China’s upgraded evacuation playbook. The operation is a reminder for companies to tighten traveller-tracking as regional conflicts disrupt flight networks.
Cyprus airports cancel 44 flights as Middle-East conflict disrupts key business routes
Cyprus’ two international airports scrapped 44 flights on 10 March as airlines re-routed around closed Middle-East airspace. Business-critical links to London, Tel Aviv and Gulf hubs were hit, extending block-times and straining crew rotas. Companies with staff or clients on the island must prepare for further volatility and revisit remote-work and relocation contingencies.
Australia Halts Working-Holiday Visas for Czechs, Negotiations Under Way
Australia stopped accepting Working-Holiday visa applications from Czech citizens on 1 March 2026, the Czech Embassy in Canberra announced on 10 March. The bilateral youth-mobility scheme is suspended pending renegotiation, affecting hundreds of Czech travellers and Australian seasonal employers. Companies and would-be participants should delay plans until a new agreement is reached.
European Parliament Approves EU Talent Pool Regulation Aiming to Streamline Skilled-Worker Immigration
On 10 March 2026 the European Parliament adopted the EU Talent Pool Regulation, creating a single digital platform through which German employers can recruit non-EU talent for shortage occupations. Germany has pledged to join the scheme, which promises faster visa processing and harmonised fair-recruitment standards, but will require HR systems upgrades and close coordination with the Federal Employment Agency.
Air France extends Dubai flight suspension as Gulf missile crisis deepens
Air France has prolonged its suspension of CDG–Dubai flights through at least 13 March after fresh Iranian missile and drone strikes on 10 March closed or restricted multiple Gulf airspaces. The move disrupts premium passenger flows, time-critical cargo and rotation schedules for French assignees, while raising questions over visa-stamp compliance and insurance exposure. French foreign ministry advice now strongly discourages non-essential travel to parts of the Gulf, underlining the need for flexible mobility planning.
Cathay Pacific extends suspension of Hong Kong–Dubai and Hong Kong–Riyadh flights to 31 March
Cathay Pacific has lengthened its Gulf service suspension, cancelling all Hong Kong–Dubai and Hong Kong–Riyadh flights until 31 March because of Middle-East conflict-related air-space risks. Affected passengers can refund, reroute or rebook without fees. The move disrupts corporate itineraries and highlights the need for Hong Kong to diversify route coverage and crisis-response planning.
DGCA Issues Aerodrome Licence to Noida International Airport (Jewar)
The DGCA has granted the aerodrome licence for Noida International Airport, allowing the greenfield hub to commence proving flights and launch commercial operations within 45 days. Mobility managers gain a second international gateway for the NCR, with biometric immigration, cargo facilities and an adjacent MRO zone expected to reshape corporate travel and assignment strategies.