ICYMI: May 15 - 28

Global mobility mobility faces significant risks, including geopolitical instability, evolving regulations, and talent shortages. Companies must also navigate currency fluctuations, housing market volatility, and shifting employee expectations. These challenges require a proactive approach to risk management, including comprehensive planning, compliance, and employee support. 

Step one is being aware of what is happening and where. That's where this bi-weekly update comes in. Here's what's happening around the world right now.  

For a specific update on global immigration changes, you can also see the latest changes on countries that have announced new salary requirements. Fragomen has a list of 54 different countries for you to review.

Plus is also hosting a panel session with EIG, focusing on immigration changes and how mobility teams can response. Join us on June 12 at 11 a.m. CST for The Immigration Landscape – Geopolitics, Compliance & the Road Ahead

Now, on to specific regional updates:

1. United Kingdom: According to the UK's GOV.UK website, “Radical reforms to Britain’s immigration system, restoring control to our borders and reducing record-high levels of net migration have been set out.” Measures unveiled in the immigration white paper published Monday, May 12th will reshape the UK immigration system towards those who contribute most to economic growth, with higher skills standards for graduates and workers. Erickson Immigration (EIG) shares their take on the numerous proposals and impending changes here. 
   
   For another perspective on the changes in the U.K., you can also see more from BAL here.
    
2. China: On May 15, 2025, the government of China announced the expansion of its visa-free policy to nationals of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru and Uruguay effective June 1, 2025, to May 31, 2026. EIG notes that visa-free entry is permitted, on a trial basis, for business, tourism, visiting friends and relatives, exchange visits and transit for no more than 30 days. 
    
3. Japan: Per Newland Chase, Japan’s Ministry of Justice has announced it will introduce a Japan Electronic System for Travel Authorization (JESTA) in 2028, moving the implementation forward from its previously targeted 2030 rollout. JESTA will serve as a pre-travel screening mechanism, enabling the Japanese government to enhance border security while expediting immigration procedures upon arrival. The JESTA system will require eligible travelers to complete an online authorization prior to boarding their flight to Japan.
    
4. European Union/Schengen Area: As noted by Fragomen, the following countries have internal checks at their borders in effect up to May-June 2025: 
   - Bulgaria 
   - Slovenia. 
   
   The following countries have internal checks at their borders in effect up to September-December 2025: 
   - Austria
   - Denmark 
   - France 
   - Germany 
   - Italy 
   - the Netherlands
   - Norway
   - Sweden. 
   
   Amid concerns about ‘foot and mouth’ disease (a viral disease affecting livestock), Slovakia has implemented border controls as of April 2025 at its borders with Austria and Hungary. The controls – originally scheduled to expire in May 2025 – have now been extended into July 2025. You can see the details on borders checks and duration here. Travelers should be aware that there may be a delay in updates to the site after the announcement of extended restrictions. 
   
   Additionally, on May 19, 2025, the European Parliament and the European Council reached a political agreement on the European Commission’s proposal for a progressive start of operations of the Entry/Exit System (EES). The Regulation must now be formally adopted by the European Parliament and the Council.  It will enter into force three days after publication in the Official Journal of the EU.
    
5. Portugal: New border control systems are implemented in preparation for EU-wide changes.  Per Newland Chase, the enhancements are part of Portugal’s broader strategy to align with forthcoming EU border policies, including the Entry/Exit System and the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS). During the transition period, travelers may experience longer processing times and increased scrutiny upon entry. You can learn more about PASSE+, VIS4, and Borders Portal here. 
    
6. Poland: Poland will introduce several restrictions to its intra-corporate transfer rules, including, among other changes, requiring: a shareholding or management connection between the transferring and receiving corporate entities; and the transferring entity to conduct actual business activity in its country of registration. These changes may require certain employers to reconsider their corporate structures and contractual arrangements. You can see more from Fragomen here. These laws will go into effect on June 1, 2025.
    
7. Costa Rica: Foreign nationals in Costa Rica are experiencing significant delays in securing appointments with the General Immigration Directorate (DGME) to submit initial residence applications under the accredited company category. Appointment wait times have increased to over two and a half months, compared to the usual one to two weeks. As a result, foreign nationals and their employers should anticipate delays in work start dates over the coming months, as all initial accredited-company residence applications require a pre-scheduled appointment. According to Fragomen, while the DGME has not provided an official explanation, the delays may be due to recent online system disruptions and staffing shortages.
    
8. France: Per BAL, France has updated the list of professions in demand. The decree listing the “professions in tension,” or those with recruitment difficulties in various geographical regions, has been updated as of May 22, 2025. Some of the sectors most in demand include: Construction, Manufacturing, Hospitality, Transportation, Home care and domestic support.
9. Belgium: The coalition agreement announces a series of measures that could have a profound impact on migration in Belgium, including labor migration. These measures have not yet been introduced into Belgian legislation, but we will closely monitor their implementation. One big focus is creating shorter waiting periods for single permit applications, and you can explore the proposed measures in Belgium here with Mondaq. 
    
10. Denmark: Corporate Immigration Partners reports that on May 15, 2025, Denmark introduced four updated online application forms for EU residence, aiming to simplify and accelerate the application process for EU nationals and their family members. Released by the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI), these revised forms replace the previous versions and mark a significant step toward digital transformation in the country’s immigration system.
     
11. United States: The Department of Labor (DOL) reported that as of May 17, a total of 5,944 cases were issued Final Decisions for the first half of the visa cap for fiscal year 2025. Certified positions for this period were allocated for 111,019 workers. 
    For the second half of 2025, a total of 8,501 cases were issued Final Decisions. Certified positions for this period were allocated for 116,602 workers. 
    In April, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services reached the additional H-2B visa cap made for returning workers for the early second half of 2025 with start dates from April 1 to May 14, 2025. 
    HR Magazine also shares that preliminary reports from the US National Travel and Tourism Office show that business travel to the US was down 9% in April 2025. This drop comes after the president's executive order on January 20 which called for additional vetting and screening processes for people entering the U.S.. US Customs and Border Protection data shows that border searches are up 10% from last year.