Dublin Airport Passenger Cap Lifted as President Signs Capacity Act into Law
Port of Dover braces for EU Entry-Exit System glitches as summer getaway begins
Spanish Supreme Court Overhauls Key Immigration and Residency Rules
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Dublin Airport Passenger-Cap Act Signed, Clearing Path for Growth Beyond 32 Million
Ireland’s President has enacted the Dublin Airport (Passenger Capacity) Act 2026, empowering the Transport Minister to lift the 32 million-passenger cap once environmental reviews are complete. The move removes a major growth bottleneck for airlines and is expected to expand route options for business travellers and assignees.
Delhi High Court Voids Passport-Visa Outsourcing Contracts, Orders Fresh Global Bids
The Delhi High Court has cancelled the government’s outsourcing contracts for passport and visa services in Australia, Singapore, the UAE and Kuwait, instructing officials to restart the tender with transparent criteria. Immediate service interruptions are already being felt, raising lead times for PCCs and visas and forcing some applicants to travel to India for paperwork. Corporations must brace for longer timelines until a fresh procurement is completed—or until the Supreme Court stays the judgment.
Italy expands ‘Decreto Flussi’: 500,000 extra foreign workers authorised for 2026-2028
The Italian cabinet has approved a new three-year immigration quota, authorising 500,000 additional non-EU workers for 2026-28 and phasing out the ‘click-day’ scramble. The move aims to ease labour shortages in agriculture, tourism and industry while tightening training and compliance rules. Employers should prepare for year-round applications and stricter oversight.
Supreme Court Fast-Tracks Government Appeal on Overseas Visa Outsourcing Tender
The Supreme Court will hear on 20 July the Centre’s challenge to a Delhi High Court decision that scrapped tenders for outsourcing CPV services in Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Singapore and Canberra. The suspension has already disrupted passport renewals and visa processing for expatriates and business travellers; a stay could restore services temporarily, while rejection would force India to find emergency alternatives. The outcome will directly affect mobility planning for multinational firms and millions of Indian nationals overseas.
Ireland Allows Temporary Travel With Expired IRP Cards Amid Renewal Backlog
Ireland will let non-EEA residents whose Irish Residence Permit cards have expired travel abroad until 31 August 2026, provided they carry a Travel Confirmation Notice showing a timely renewal application. The concession tackles a 17-week processing backlog and averts disruption to summer business travel and assignments.
Canada raises LMIA wage thresholds for Temporary Foreign Worker Program as of July 17 2026
ESDC has increased the provincial wage thresholds that separate high- and low-wage LMIA applications, effective July 17 2026. Employers must now offer up to CAD $38.40 per hour to keep roles in the high-wage stream, or face stricter caps and advertising rules in the low-wage stream. The change raises labour costs, lengthens lead times for new hires and renewals, and will require companies to revisit budgets and mobility policies.
Dubai clarifies visit-visa rules for relatives and friends
GDRFA-Dubai has issued updated salary thresholds, fee tables and application procedures for its relatives-and-friends visit visa. Single- and multiple-entry options (30/60/90 days) are available, with extensions permitted inside the UAE. Clearer rules should help companies plan family travel for expatriate employees and reduce last-minute compliance issues.
Port of Dover braces for queues as EU Entry-Exit glitches threaten UK holiday exodus
Dover expects its busiest weekend of the year just as glitches in the EU’s biometric Entry-Exit System resurface. Incomplete software means new e-gates for cars cannot be used, raising the prospect of multi-hour queues for 17-19 July holiday traffic. The disruption could hurt freight reliability and corporate travel schedules and highlights the need for rapid Franco-British coordination before EES and ETIAS are fully enforced.
Spain’s Supreme Court Overhauls Key Immigration and Residency Rules
The Supreme Court on 17 July annulled several clauses of Spain’s 2024 Immigration Regulation, lifting the ban on temp agencies hiring non-EU workers, ending automatic permit refusals based on any criminal record, easing recognition of foreign guardianships, and dropping a mandatory e-filing requirement. The judgment, delivered just after Spain’s migrant amnesty closed, gives companies more flexibility in hiring and transferring talent while expanding safeguards for families and minors.
China Threatens Countermeasures After U.S. Slashes Visa Terms for Chinese Journalists
Beijing denounced a new U.S. rule that cuts visas for Chinese journalists to 90 days and warned it will retaliate. The change risks reigniting a media-visa war that previously led to expulsions and hampered business intelligence-gathering. Companies relying on in-country reporting should brace for stricter accreditation, longer processing times and possible reciprocal limits on U.S. journalists in China.