ICYMI: June 25 - July 8

To help us all understand the value of immigration, particularly into the U.S., the Immigration Nerds podcast from EIG shares the Forbes 250: America’s Most Successful Living Immigrants list to pull back the curtain on how a list like this actually gets made and what it reveals about the country that made it possible! Hear why Arnold Schwarzenegger landed at #1 despite not being the richest person on the list. Learn how the sriracha guy fled communist Vietnam and reshaped American food culture! (what would we do without Sriracha?) Find out why Katalin Karikó, who arrived with a few hundred dollars hidden in a teddy bear, may have done more to save American lives than almost anyone else on the list.  Additionally, which country do you think leads the list with the most successful living immigrants?  Check it out!

OK, on with the updates that could impact your mobility program that we have tracked from a variety of sources:

Japan

• Osaka's condominium rents climbed by just over 3% in the half year to April to outpace New York, growing at the fastest rate among major cities in the world.
• Also due to a shortage of larger, high-quality homes, especially in popular central neighborhoods, Tokyo is very competitive and rents are continuing to rise. Tokyo apartment rents hit record highs in mid-2026, rising for the 31st consecutive month.

South Korea

• Per AIRINC's latest reporting, Seoul has a shortage of available housing, particularly larger homes and premium apartments. Rental income tax policies have caused many landlords to sell and have limited new construction. Along with low turnover and a scarcity of detached housing, there is a lack of rental supply in Seoul. Demand has increased due to urbanization and higher expat arrivals. Rising property values, inflation, and changes to the deposit-based rental system have further pushed rents upward, giving landlords greater pricing power. 

India

• The Ministry of Home Affairs in India has launched the Electronic Overseas Citizen of India (e-OCI) Card. The online system reduces paperwork and administrative costs, strengthens data management and centralized tracking, and integrates with digital immigration systems for real-time verification at airports. It is also expected to facilitate smoother travel by enabling faster immigration clearance. Existing cardholders can also obtain their e-OCI Card digitally in most cases without needing a new application or physical verification.
• Per the latest from AIRINC, Chennai has seen rents going up, driven primarily by improving infrastructure and demand from the IT corridor. With a tight supply in prime areas, they are seeing gradual rent increases. Expat housing costs remain significantly cheaper than Bengaluru though!  Mumbai has also witnessed increased rents driven by new luxury housing standards and the delivery of ultra-premium developments.

• Also, per Nomad Temporary Housing's latest GeoMarket Update:

  

Australia

• The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has confirmed that, from July 1, 2026, skilled visa income thresholds have increased by 3.8%. This is in line with changes to the annual Average Weekly Ordinary Time Earnings (AWOTE). Income thresholds are indexed annually so wages for skilled migrants increase at the same rate as Australian workers. This ensures that people cannot use skilled migration to undercut Australian workers.

New Zealand

• The New Zealand government has announced significant reforms to the Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa, introducing two new residence pathways, the Skilled Work Experience Pathway and the Trades & Technician Pathway, with implementation scheduled for August 2026. Key changes will include revised work experience requirements, removal of wage uplift obligations, and increased recognition of New Zealand qualifications. The new framework will expand eligibility by recognizing both professional and trade skills while reducing barriers linked to wage progression and lengthy work experience.

• Effective immediately, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) requires police certificates to be provided upfront for student and other temporary visa applications. If applicants do not include a required police certificate, it may affect their visa decision. The application may be declined.

Belgium

• Effective September 1, 2026, Flemish authorities will introduce a new government processing fee of EUR 180 for Single Permit applications (both first time and renewals). This fee, which will be in addition to the Immigration Office fee of EUR 152, will need to be paid by employers or their service provider, using the Single Permit Portal. 

Germany

• The standard home search timeframe for lower/normal rental budgets is now 6-12+ weeks from first viewing to move‑in. At the same time, consider appointment shortages for visa and work permit while supporting assignees. Home finding in Germany is taking longer due to an extreme shortage of rental properties, unprecedented immigration, strict financial vetting (such as a 3 to 4× rent income multiplier), and complex bureaucratic hurdles like requiring a local credit check (Schufa).

Netherlands

• 1-2 months of temporary accommodation recommended due to tight rental market. For non-EU citizens staying less than 4 months and registering as non-resident (RNI), there are now only 2 places to register now: Breda and Venlo.

Denmark

• Effective July 1, 2026, Denmark updated both the Higher Education and Skilled Work Positive Lists. Roles on the Higher Education Positive List include occupations in engineering, healthcare, education and information technology (IT), including software developers, IT architects, automation engineers, environmental engineers, researchers, nurses and dentists. On the Skilled Work Positive List, Denmark continues to identify significant labor shortages in technical, construction, industrial and healthcare occupations. Notable occupations on the list include computer technicians, production technicians, service electricians, electricians, electronics technicians, aircraft technicians, plumbers, bricklayers, carpenters, welders, industrial technicians, mechanics, social and health care workers, paramedics, butchers and bakers.  

Switzerland

• Zurich & Zug started implementing 90-day minimum stays for temporary housing. For stays of 90 days or more, you are legally required to register with the municipality (Stadt Zug). Ensure the temporary housing provider permits an official Swiss registration address. For permanent housing, Packimpex just released their annual housing prices update.

United Kingdom

• Preparation of documentation is more important than ever, as landlords are increasingly focused on affordability assessments, employment verification and referencing, due to the Renters' Rights Act. With the abolition of Section 21 "no-fault" evictions and stricter compliance penalties under the Renters' Rights Act, thorough, evidence-led documentation is essential. Landlords must pivot from reactive possession to preventative portfolio management by strictly standardizing their screening, referencing, and legal paper trails.

Kuwait

• Foreign workers in Kuwait can now change employers before completing one year of employment if: the employer fails to pay a foreign worker’s salary; the employer fails to complete the steps necessary for the employee to obtain a work or residence permit;  due to employer conduct, the employee has a right to terminate their employment contract without notice;  the employer’s file (a profile registered with authorities that contains a company’s labor records) has been suspended or restricted by the authorities; or employer is found to have submitted an absconding report (a report that alleges a worker has ceased working without permission) maliciously or incorrectly. Previously, foreign workers could change employers only after working one year with their current employer, regardless of the conduct of that employer.

Saudi Arabia

• As of June 2026, individuals holding Premium Residency in Saudi Arabia are required to obtain a dedicated work permit through the Qiwa platform before commencing employment. Previously, Premium Residency holders were permitted to work without obtaining a separate work permit. Per EER, this new requirement introduces an additional compliance step for employers onboarding Premium Residency holders. Employment contracts must continue to be registered through Qiwa, and employees must remain registered with the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI).

• From July 1, 2026, UK citizens holding any type of British passport will be eligible to travel to Saudi Arabia using a new Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). The ETA will: 1.) Allow multiple entries, 2.) Permit stays of up to 180 days within one year, either continuously or across multiple visits and 3.) Be valid for tourism, short-term study and business visits.

United States

• The US Supreme Court upheld the end of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for hundreds of thousands of Haitians and Syrians, while authorizing the White House to restart strict asylum curbs at the southern border. Conversely, a federal judge blocked a prior USCIS policy that paused immigration benefits for 39 countries.

• USCIS (.gov) announced that, consistent with long-standing law, Adjustment of Status will only be granted in extraordinary circumstances; otherwise, individuals must use consular processing outside of the U.S.

• The Department of Labor (DOL) has issued its latest report on PERM and prevailing wage determination (PWD) processing times. As of June 30, 2026, DOL was conducting analyst review for PERM applications filed in June 2025 or earlier, and audit review for PERM applications filed in December 2025 or earlier. DOL is working on reconsideration requests that were filed in February 2026 or earlier. 

• Homeownership costs in the U.S. jumped roughly 39% between 2019 and 2025. Insurance spiked 72% and maintenance surged 85%. You can check FHFA House Price Index Data for local area breakdowns. This is a comprehensive​ collection of publicly available house price indexes that measure changes in single-family home values based on data that extend back to the mid-1970s from all 50 states and over 400 American cities. While ever so slightly down from the previous month, it is up 2% from same time last year. 

• Housing costs are rising across much of the U.S., but the especially steep rent increases in these cities add considerable financial pressure on tenants. The reality is that in these cities, rising rents often force tenants to devote a larger share of their income to housing. These aren't necessarily the cities with the highest rents overall but rather the metros with the largest year-over-year percentage jumps.