ICYMI: Aug 23-Sept 4

I am a dad, so yeah, of course I love me some really (good) bad “Dad Jokes.” I might have even set the record for lifetime eyerolls delivered to me in response to them. So, with the full expectation to adding to my collection of eyerolls, here's one that has a global mobility vibe:

And then what stinks worse than that joke? The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug aka the “BMSB!" Which I guess is no joke and quite the pest. Check out the info for Australia below to find out more! We actually get these here in Minnesota too, and they totally creep me out!

Here are a number of country updates ICYMI over the past couple of weeks:

1. Australia: Beginning on 1 September 2024, all bookings to Australia will require a signed Brown Marmorated Bug (BMSB) declaration. The completed declaration must be submitted prior to the documentation cut-off. Failure to do so may result in the shipment being delayed.
2. New Zealand: Per Envoy Global, New Zealand will increase its immigration fees beginning 1 October 2024 for most visa categories. Typical increases range from 50-100% or more, so the price increases are pretty significant.
3. Singapore: A shortage of ships and containers along with major congestion at the port is causing significant shipment delays in Singapore. This could lead to higher prices as well.
4. Qatar: According to Envoy Global, Qatar has introduced measures for foreign nationals holding unpaid traffic violations. The government of Qatar will require all foreign nationals with unpaid traffic violations to leave the country until all fees are paid beginning 1 September 2024. The government will offer a discount of 50% for all unpaid violations acquired within the last three years beginning 1 June 2024 to 31 August 2024. The discount will apply to Qatari citizens, residents, foreign national visitors, and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nationals.
5. UAE: Rents in Dubai have increased up to 15% since the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) Rental Index was updated earlier this year in March. Rents, which are 64% higher than the pre-COVID-19 quarter of Q1 2020, increased by 19% in Q2 2024 year-on-year. According to Khaleej Times, the rental market continues to be landlord-friendly, with rents increasing across the board, though the pace of growth has slowed compared to last year. Household incomes are not keeping pace with rising rents, which is further contracting disposable incomes.
6. Europe: EuroNews shared some information on Europe's travel strikes and what to expect for flight and train disruptions for the rest of August and into September. They will also update their info as strikes occur. There may be impacts in Germany, Italy, Scotland, Spain, France, and the Netherlands. Also, according to Newland Chase, Europe has announced a firm data for the introduction of the Entry/Exit System (EES). It will start 10 November 2024— a month later than previously anticipated. EES will remove physical passport stamping for short-stay visa and visa exempt travelers into the 29 European countries participating in the system. 
7. France: The Summer Paralympic Games are from August 28 to September 8. It is unlikely that moving services will be affected unless the customers’ home is close to an Olympic venue. There is a possibility of slower customs clearance and extra security checks due to increased flows of Olympic-related materials.
8. Estonia: In a win for the LGBTQ+ world, the Estonian authorities have expanded dependent permits to include same-sex partners, subject to certain conditions. They do require a civil or registered partnership equivalent to marriage. 
9. Denmark: Per Envoy Global, on 1 July 2024, the government of Denmark introduced a new Positive List for foreign nationals with higher education degrees or skilled work. The new Positive List for People with a Higher Education includes 141 job titles, while the Positive List for Skilled Work includes 61. For the complete list, check here.  
10. Canada: Per Fragomen, in line with the government’s continued focus to reduce the temporary resident population in Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada has announced several forthcoming restrictions to the Low-Wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). In short, employers will need to better manage their labor needs and may have reduced flexibility to hire foreign nationals for certain positions instead of Canadians. The decision follows a rise in Canada’s unemployment rate to a 30-month high of 6.4% in July, reflecting a year-long upward trend. The government of Canada announced additional restrictions that will go into effect beginning 26 September 2024. Additionally, with regard to recent rail stoppage, per FreightWaves, Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City trains are rolling just days after a work stoppage shut down most of the country’s rail network, avoiding an economic crisis.
11. Colombia: The government of Colombia will require holders of a Colombian permanent residence visa issued before October 2022 to apply for a new visa before 21 October 2024. Once the visa transfer is completed, applicants can apply for a new immigration card. More here. 
12. Indonesia: The Indonesian Ministry of Health is strengthening health screening procedures for international tourists and foreign nationals, including state guests, to prevent the spread of the monkeypox virus (Mpox), which has been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO).
13. United Kingdom: According to new research from American Express, Gen Z employees view business travel as a way of boosting their careers and are seeking out more opportunities to take trips. The research found that almost three-fifths (59%) of the youngest generation in the workforce say they will be travelling more for work in the next 12 months. Additionally, half of UK businesses plan to increase travel spend in the next 12 months. Related to UK housing, per The Financial Times, the for-sale stock of homes is up 14% in August compared with the year before as an interest rate cut boosts activity with predictions of a busy autumn. More buyers and sellers have been coming back to the market after almost two years of muted activity caused by higher borrowing costs. The increased demand, however, is expected to keep prices up, although, one in five homes for sale in August had seen its asking price reduced by 5% or more, a higher than average share.
14. United States: With many predicting that a decline in mortgage rates is around the corner, check out these 10 markets that could see the biggest home affordability gains per Realtor.com.  The biggest winner would be Lakeland, FL, where the share of affordable listings would increase by 5.9 percentage points, to 52.9%, if rates dropped to 6.3% from their July average of 6.8%. That compares with a 3.2-point increase in affordability nationwide. Other Florida cities in the top 10 include Deltona and Palm Bay. In Utah, Salt Lake City and Ogden were also among the top affordability gainers from falling mortgage rates. Also making the list were El Paso, TX; Raleigh, NC; Providence, RI; and Boise, ID. Additionally, The International Longshoremen Association (ILA) has announced preparations for a potential coast-wide strike on 1 October 2024 if a new agreement with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) is not reached. And finally, the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma are limiting terminal operations due to a severe lack of railcars.

Lastly, back by popular demand, is the next bi-weekly trivia question. Which city and country is hosting it's first NFL game this week? And which teams are playing?

Answers (spelled backwards:

City: oãS oloaP    Country: lizarB

Teams: Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers