ICYMI: April 3 - 16

As we head into Q2 2025, maybe we should no longer be surprised at how much happens or by the pace of change. 

We'll start by sharing a recent WERC pulse survey that indicates changes to U.S. employment-based immigration policy are likely to have a negative impact on talent mobility. According to WERC, U.S. visa restrictions and trade-related actions, including those related to the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), are potential policy actions most likely to have significantly negative impacts on companies and their foreign national populations. Most notably, 100% of respondents said that restrictions on U.S. visas would have a significantly or somewhat negative impact on their organizations. 

One participant shared that “Any additional limitations/exclusions applied to foreign students/workers will only shrink a labor force that is already small to begin with. This will most likely only result in wage escalations and ultimately higher costs, which will be passed along to our clients.” That individual also expects longer processing times, delayed onboarding, and ultimately the loss of talent.

With that noted, let's take a look at other global updates which might affect mobility programs. 

1. United States: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has made minor changes to Form I‑9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to align with statutory language, and updated the DHS Privacy Notice. This form is required for identity verification and work authorization of new hires. The revised Form I‑9 with an edition date 01/20/25 and an expiration date 05/31/2027 is now available for download. Previous editions will remain valid until their respective expiration dates. 
   
   Additionally, effective as of February 18, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) made changes to the visa interview waiver program, leaving applicants and employers scrambling to navigate the new requirements. 
   
   Newland Chase reports that to be eligible for an interview waiver: 
   - You must apply in the same visa category as your most recent visa. 
   - Your previous visa must either still be valid or have expired within the past 12 months. 
   
   Previously, applicants could qualify for a waiver if their visa had expired within the past 48 months. That grace period has now ended, catching many travelers by surprise. If you’re unsure whether you qualify, consult with a travel or immigration advisor. Misunderstanding your eligibility can delay your plans and potentially impact your ability to travel on time. Lastly, the Alien Registration Act takes effect from Friday, April 11, 2025. The law requires all noncitizens in the United States for more than 30 days to register with the federal government. Failure to comply is a crime, punishable by fines, imprisonment, or both. Register via USCIS.
    
2. Canada: Per Envoy Global, Canada announced the 2025 Express Entry categories, which include a new education category, to align the selection of federal economic immigrants with Canada’s long-term labor shortages. For 2025, the focus of the federal economic class draws will be to invite candidates with experience working in Canada (Canadian Experience Class) to apply for permanent residence.
    
3. Brazil: Not long ago, WERC shared the 11th edition of Mobility Brazil, produced by WERC and Global Line, a consultancy firm based in São Paulo. It explored the state of global mobility in Brazil by gathering benchmarking and policy input from 100 multinational companies across various industries. 
   
   AIRINC also notes that the rental market is up in Rio de Janeiro due to high demand and limited supply. More people are moving to the city, and the supply is limited due to high safety concerns. Good apartments in desirable locations are scarce and many landlords have sold their properties due to higher taxes. 
   
   Additionally, effective midnight on April 10, 2025, a visa will be required for citizens of the United States, Canada, and Australia to travel to Brazil, regardless of the purpose of travel. For more information about visa requirements, visit the Brazilian government-authorized website, https://brazil.vfsevisa.com.
    
4. Saudi Arabia: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has imposed new travel restrictions, suspending the issuance of certain visas to 14 countries including Bangladesh, Pakistan and India. The ban is targeting unauthorized Hajj participants who use multiple entry visas and then stay illegally to perform Hajj, leading to overcrowding and safety risks. Sources indicate that individuals staying illegally in Saudi Arabia despite the ban may face a five-year restriction on future entries.
    
5. Australia: BAL reports that effective July 1, skilled visa income thresholds will increase by 4.6% to align with changes in the Average Weekly Ordinary Time Earnings. You can find specific indexation changes here. The change does not apply to existing visa holders and nominations lodged before July 1. 
   
   Also, per AIRINC, the rental market in Perth is experiencing significant rent increases, driven by low availability and high demand. Competition remains fierce despite challenges such as rising construction costs and affordability issues, particularly in the western suburbs favored by expatriates.
    
6. South Korea: South Korea’s acting president and prime minister announced the easing of restrictions on international workers switching jobs outside of the Seoul metropolitan area. Foreign national employees in the Greater Seoul area will be allowed to freely move to other provinces while changing jobs. Previously, foreign workers had only been allowed to change workplaces within the region where they received their initial work permits.
    
7. Spain: As shared by WERC and discussed by the NYT, Spain is confronting a housing crisis that has rapidly become one of the most acute in Europe, with nearly 10% of the country’s housing stock being acquired by investors or converted to tourist rentals since 2015. The problem is complex, perhaps no more so than in Barcelona, which has become ground zero for the dilemma and a poster child for the challenges of trying to fix it. 
    
8. Ireland: The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) has announced that its new “Employment Permits Online” system will launch on April 28, 2025. To facilitate the move to EPOS, the existing website will need to be taken offline. During this time no employment permit applications will be able to be submitted. The EPOS website will be taken offline from 6pm on Thursday, 17 April. This will mean that EPOS will be offline for 5 business days. The new system will introduce a portal space with separate and individual accounts for both employers, employees and agents, making it easier to get up-to-date information on the status of applications. 
    
9. United Kingdom: Stamp duty in the UK saw an increase where a threshold that previously paid 0% now will be 2% for homes between £125,001-£250,000. Additionally, Rightmove is predicting that London house prices will suffer the most from trade volatility caused by the U.S. presidential administration. London values, which have barely grown over the past year, are now exposed to the fallout from Trump’s sweeping tariff announcements since April 2. They tend to be more vulnerable to geopolitical tensions and market turbulence, with top locations like Chelsea, Mayfair, and Knightsbridge increasingly reliant on foreign buyers in recent years. 
   
   Additionally, The UK government will introduce new fees for passport applications on April 10, 2025.
    
10. European Union: ETIAS is now scheduled for late 2026, as noted by this report from WERC. ETIAS is the new travel registration system for travelers to Europe who possess a passport of a country for which a visa is not required to enter a Schengen country. The system was scheduled to be in place in 2021 but has been delayed several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Once in effect, U.S. and other travelers to Europe who do not need a visa to visit 30 countries in the Schengen zone and other participating countries will be required to first get approval under the system. The application process is expected to take about 10 minutes.

Lastly, besides tracking locational updates like the above, many mobility programs are also tracking trends within global mobility. Our latest survey report, 2025 Global Mobility Trends & Insights: The Search for Equilibrium, brings together the voices of nearly 50 mobility leaders to uncover how programs are adapting, where challenges lie, and what strategies are driving success. Download the report today!