ICYMI: March 6 - 19

If you could describe the current state of the world in one word, what would it be? What about a word that defines the state of your mobility program? Would this word lean more positively or negatively? Would it emphasize the struggle to keep pace with an increasingly rapid world, adapting quickly to change, or would it reflect a forward-looking vision?

As I considered my own word for 2025, I stumbled upon a post where the author described his selection process, choosing "pivot" for 2024 and "abundance" for 2025. Inspired by his reflection, I felt drawn toward the concept of "flow." With the global currents swiftly moving us forward, finding and maintaining the right "flow" seems to encapsulate the ongoing challenge for this year.

Linguistics aside, here’s an update on key global events, activities, and changes currently shaping the flow of talent mobility worldwide:

1. Ireland: Just in time for St. Patrick's Day week! Per EIG, the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism, and Employment has announced changes to the employment permits system to address skills shortages in Ireland’s planning and home care sectors. The changes came into effect on March 10, 2025. There was also an an extension of 1,000 General Employment Permits.
    
2. Switzerland: There is a new online portal for short-term work in Switzerland. The previous online portal for reporting short-term work ceased functioning on March 14, 2025. Effective March 17, 2025, short-term work notifications were transitioned to the EasyGov portal. If not yet registered, Swiss companies must create an EasyGov account.
    
3. United Kingdom: The UK ETA scheme that we shared here is now fully operational and in effect! The ETA scheme applies worldwide for visitors to the UK who do not currently need a visa for short stays, or who do not already have a UK immigration status prior to traveling. According to Newland Chase, the ETA process was introduced to nationals in three phases, and since March 5, 2025, all eligible nationals, including EU nationals, can apply for an ETA. Additionally, from Envoy Global, the United Kingdom opened the ballot for UK-India Young Professionals Scheme (YPS) applicants starting on February 18, 2025 
    
4. Belgium: As reported by Packimpex, Belgium has a new government, so expect some changes in labor immigration regulations. These may take time to be implemented, with some possible variations from one region to the other and from one municipality to the other. Also, safe lead times for temporary housing will likely be between 8-10 weeks. It's also important to note that non-EU citizens must register on arrival at their address in Belgium. Hotels and Airbnb locations do not allow this.
    
5. Singapore: Newland Chase reports that Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has announced major updates to its Work Permit and S Pass frameworks, aiming to enhance workforce stability and ensure that foreign worker policies align with the nation’s economic needs. These changes, set to take effect between July 1 and September 1, 2025, focus on extending employment opportunities for foreign workers, refining S Pass eligibility, and improving access to skilled labor across various sectors.
    
6. Vietnam: Also from Newland Chase, Vietnam has undertaken a major political and administrative restructuring effort aimed at streamlining government functions and improving efficiency. As part of these reforms, the Vietnamese government issued Decree No. 25/2025/NĐ-CP, which took effect on March 1, 2025, transferring key responsibilities from the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs (MOLISA) to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). This shift is expected to impact processes related to the management of foreign workers and labor regulations.
    
7. Australia: Per Fragomen, there has recently been a notable increase in compliance and enforcement activity by the Australian Border Force (ABF) and Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) following the implementation of new employer compliance legislation in July 2024, which granted expanded enforcement powers. Please review if you are bringing talent into Australia as several employers have been sanctioned and fines can be quite high. Additionally, Cyclone Alfred has caused disruption in parts of New South Wales and Queensland. Flooding and infrastructure damage has been widespread. The port of Brisbane was closed over the weekend but reopened on March 11th. There is a backlog of containers that they are working to clear. Delays should be expected until normal operations resume- hopefully in the next few days
    
8. Qatar: Fragomen notes that residence permit cancellation applications for foreign workers in the mainland of Qatar must now first be processed by the Ministry of Labor before being assessed by the Ministry of Interior. Previously, such applications only had to be processed by the Ministry of Interior. This new step – which includes a requirement to provide an employee’s locally registered Qatari mobile number as part of obtaining employee consent to the cancellation application – has increased standard government processing times for such applications to two to four business days (up from the previous one business day). Currently, this change does not apply to companies within the Qatar Financial Centre freezone. It's unclear if these regulations will be extended in this zone.
    
9. UAE: Again from Fragomen, Indian nationals who hold a valid residence permit from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, or South Korea can now obtain a visa-on-arrival for tourism or business stays of up to 60 days. Individuals travelling for other purposes (including study or work) must continue to obtain a visa prior to arriving in the country.
    
10. Japan: The Japanese government has launched a dedicated website for the Pre-Entry Tuberculosis Screening, with a list of designated clinics now available. You can learn more here. 
     
11. Canada: According to Envoy Global, starting April 1, 2025, employers need to adjust their payroll information to pay employees at least the new hourly wage. Employers must pay higher wages if the provincial or territorial minimum wage exceeds the federal rate. The country introduced new regulations that will increase the federal minimum wage to $17.75 per hour on April 1, 2025, representing a 2.4% increase. This adjustment aims to ensure that salaries for workers in federally regulated private sectors keep pace with the year-over-year cost of living increases and to help part-time, temporary, and low-wage workers earn more. 
     
12. United States: Newland Chase shares that they are monitoring reports that the U.S. government may introduce new travel restrictions on certain nationalities. While no official policy has been announced, indications suggest that a revised travel ban could be forthcoming, and one that is potentially broader than the one introduced during President Trump’s first term. Reliable media reports indicate that the proposed restrictions may include a tiered system affecting travelers from multiple countries, with varying levels of access to the U.S. It remains unclear whether individuals with existing visas, green cards, or pending applications would be exempt. 
    Also, a recent report from Lending Tree shows that renting is now cheaper than owning in the 100 largest U.S. metros. San Francisco still has the largest gap between renting and owning. Median gross rent is $2,397 and median monthly housing costs are $3,811, a difference of $1414/month. Phoenix has the smallest gap of just $90 difference per month. Lastly, FIFA has confirmed the 12 stadiums in the United States that will stage matches at the new FIFA Club World Cup 2025™. This is the tournament stage when the 32 best clubs in the world play for the world championship title. Expect logistical challenges from June 8 through July 20th for temporary housing in Miami, Seattle, and Cincinnati. 

One further note shared from our global supply chain team. There is a critical shortage of containers in Asia causing extended transit times and rising freight charges. This is also causing volatility in container prices and availability and potential delays. French dock workers went on a series of strikes in the month of February and have announced more work stoppages for the month of March. The action includes eight separate 4-hour strikes on March 4, 6, 10, 12, 14, 24, 26, and 28, with a longer 72-hour strike between March 18-20. This will include the country’s largest container port of Le Havre. Please be aware, this could result in vessels being diverted to other ports in Europe. In India, some carriers have announced Emergency Peak Season Surcharges on lanes to North America. This is due to ongoing disruptions attributed to equipment imbalances, blank sailings, and capacity constraints. Carriers have continued applying surcharges that impact trade lanes from the Indian Subcontinent to North America. 

And to close, we'd like to share another source of quality country updates. These are from Packimpex, covering the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and the UK.

As always, there's a lot going on, so finding your program’s unique "flow" will be essential. Here’s to navigating the currents successfully as we press forward!