News
Flemish Government and Social Partners Seal Employment Pact Aimed at Filling Labour Gaps Through Training and Targeted Migration
7+ hour, 8+ min ago (287+ words) Flemish Government and Social Partners Seal Employment Pact Aimed at Filling Labour Gaps Through Training and Targeted Migration'VisaHQ On 28 January 2026 the Flemish Government signed a new "Iedereen nodig, iedereen mee" employment pact with employer federations (Voka, UNIZO) and trade unions…...
Draft ‘security decree’ sparks debate over tougher rules for foreign minors
1+ week, 1+ day ago (178+ words) Draft "security decree" sparks debate over tougher rules for foreign minors'VisaHQ Political negotiations intensified on 20 January 2026 after the government postponed the presentation of its new public-security decree According to reports following an evening meeting at Palazzo Chigi, the coalition is…...
Government consults on welfare-linked revocation of student residence permits
1+ week, 2+ day ago (235+ words) Government consults on welfare-linked revocation of student residence permits'VisaHQ The Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment opened a six-week consultation on 19 January 2026 to tighten post-arrival monitoring of residence permits issued to non-EU/EEA students Under the draft bill'reported by…...
UK Raises English‐Language Bar and Visa Fees, Extends Settlement Wait Times
1+ week, 4+ day ago (335+ words) UK Raises English'Language Bar and Visa Fees, Extends Settlement Wait Times'VisaHQ The Home Office has confirmed a sweeping package of immigration changes that quietly took legal effect on 8 January 2026 but were formally detailed to the press on 18 January The most…...
Number of foreign workers and students in Canada falls for first time in a decade
1+ week, 4+ day ago (358+ words) Number of foreign workers and students in Canada falls for first time in a decade'VisaHQ New data released by CIC News on 17 January 2026 show that Canada ended 2025 with 14 954 fewer temporary residents'work-permit and study-permit holders combined'than the year before Although the…...
1.4 Million Canadian Work Permits Set to Expire in 2026, IRCC Data Show
1+ week, 6+ day ago (233+ words) 1.4 Million Canadian Work Permits Set to Expire in 2026, IRCC Data Show'VisaHQ Fresh figures released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada reveal that 1.4 million temporary residents'primarily foreign workers'hold permits that will lapse during calendar-year 2026, with more than half expiring by the…...
Canada Adds 110,000 Extra Economic-Class Spots and Tweaks Study-Permit Rules
2+ week, 2+ day ago (304+ words) Canada Adds 110,000 Extra Economic-Class Spots and Tweaks Study-Permit Rules'VisaHQ Ottawa's local newswire Via Ottawa reported on January 12 that IRCC has allocated an additional 110,000 economic-class positions for 2026, outside the baseline Immigration Levels Plan, to tackle acute labour shortages in engineering, technology…...
Home Office rejects Gaza academic’s urgent bid to reunite family in UK
2+ week, 5+ day ago (287+ words) Home Office rejects Gaza academic's urgent bid to reunite family in UK'VisaHQ The Home Office has refused to waive normal biometric procedures for Bassem Abudagga, a Palestinian PhD student at York St John University who is trying to bring his…...
B2 English-language threshold takes effect today for Skilled Worker, Scale-up and HPI visas
2+ week, 6+ day ago (274+ words) B2 English-language threshold takes effect today for Skilled Worker, Scale-up and HPI visas'VisaHQ A major new compliance hurdle for employers comes into force today, 8 January 2026: first-time applicants under the Skilled Worker, High Potential Individual (HPI) and Scale-up routes must now prove…...
Ottawa cuts 2026 permanent resident target to 380,000 amid system reset
3+ week, 1+ day ago (185+ words) Ottawa cuts 2026 permanent resident target to 380,000 amid system reset'VisaHQ In a late-evening briefing on 6 January 2026, federal officials confirmed that Canada plans to admit approximately 380,000 new permanent residents this year15,000 fewer than the 2025 target and more than 100,000 below 2024s record intake Immigration Minister…...