Canada
Changes to visa requirements for eligible travellers from Indonesia and Malaysia
Effective 26 May 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has made changes to visa requirements for eligible citizens from Indonesia and Malaysia.
Indonesian and Malaysian citizens who have held a Canadian temporary resident visa (TRV) in the last 10 years or who currently hold a valid US non-immigrant visa—and have therefore previously been screened by Canada or the US—may be eligible to apply for an electronic travel authorization (eTA) instead of a visa when travelling to or transiting through Canada by air.
People who already have a valid TRV can continue to use it to travel to Canada.
Travellers can visit this website to learn who is eligible for an eTA and how to apply.
Suspension of entry for foreign nationals living in countries affected by Ebola
In response to the Ebola disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) , and increasing risks in Uganda and South Sudan, the government of Canada has announced temporary border measures to reduce the risk of the virus entering and spreading within Canada.
The government has suspended immigration documents for residents of countries that have a high or very high risk of outbreak of Ebola disease for 90 days: from 27 May 2026 until 25 August 2026
At this time, this includes the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan. This will mean that even those with a previously approved temporary resident visa, electronic travel authorization (eTA) or permanent resident visa will not be allowed to travel to Canada while their immigration document is suspended. During this time, we also intend to temporarily pause making decisions on applications for these documents from residents of these countries.
The government intends to implement an additional measure effective 30 May 2026 at 23:59 pm EDT until 29 August 2026, whereby Canadian citizens, permanent residents, persons registered under the Indian Act, and foreign nationals, who have been in these areas within the previous 21 days and do not have symptoms, will have to quarantine for 21 days. If they do not have a place where they can quarantine safely, they will be provided with an appropriate location. Travellers who have symptoms will be isolated at a hospital for further assessment. These measures are being implemented under the Quarantine Act.
Those who are already in Canada are not impacted by these measures, and may continue to stay here for their authorized period of stay. As per standard procedure, these travellers were already screened upon their arrival by Canada Border Services Agency Border Services Officers. Canadian citizens and permanent residents could still return to Canada and would undergo screening at ports of entry upon their arrival.
While the risk to people in Canada remains low, the government is taking a precautionary approach given the severity of Ebola disease and the evolving international situation, including the FIFA World Cup 2026 ™. There has never been a case of Ebola disease imported into Canada and there are currently no cases of Ebola disease in North America.
New Worker Expression of interest edit function
The Alberta government has announced that candidates for the Alberta Advantage Immigration Programme can now update their Worker Expressions of Interest (WEOI). WEOIs are valid for one year after submission. Editing a WEOI does not extend or change the WEOI validity.
Candidates may also reject invitations to streams they are not interested in and return to the WEOI pool before the 15-day invitation period ends.
Candidates who created and paid the WEOI fee between 7 April and 26 May 2026, and who needed to cancel their WEOI to make edits, may request a refund of their original WEOI fee through the Opportunity Alberta contact form.
The following are not eligible for a refund:
- Candidates who cancelled their WEOI and submitted a new one during an invitation period.
- Candidates who cancelled their WEOI because they needed to update their Express Entry profile (Express Entry profile updates are not eligible for a refund).
Cyprus
Launch of online residence permit renewal pilot
On 22 May 2026, the Migration Department announced the launch of the pilot of an online residence permit renewal application service. The system being piloted allow the renewal of the following residence permits:
- Temporary residence permits for the purpose of remuneratedemployment (with the same employer);
- Temporary residence permits for the purpose of domestic employment (with the same employer);
- Temporary residence permits for employees of foreign interest companies (with the same employer / within the same company);
- Residence permits for family members of employees of foreign interest companies and long-term residents (spouses and minor children) residing in the Republic of Cyprus under the framework of Family Reunification;
- Long-term residence permits.
The service can be used by third-country nationals, Cypriot and/or European employers of third-country nationals, and authorised representatives with a verified Cy Login Profile.
The physical submission of applications will continue as normal until further notice.
Finland
Proposal to change residence permit for startup entrepreneurs is sent out for comments
The government has announced that its proposed changes to the residence permit process for startup entrepreneurs have been sent out for comments.
The proposed changes now in public consultation would streamline the residence permit process for startup entrepreneurs. The aim is to allocate the resources of authorities to those applicants that genuinely plan to establish a growth company in Finland. Another goal is to prevent abuse of the system.
Under the current rules, an applicant for a residence permit for a startup entrepreneur must obtain in advance a statement from Business Finland evaluating whether the startup company shows potential for international growth. A significant number of these statements have been negative, and have failed to result in a residence permit being granted or the applicant moving to Finland as a startup entrepreneur. Abuse has been suspected in some cases.
According to the proposed change, there would no longer be a separate advance application for Business Finland’s statement. From now on, the evaluation would be included in the residence permit application subject to a fee. The change is expected to prevent incomplete and low-quality applications and thereby save the resources of the authorities. At the same time, the conditions for granting a residence permit for a startup entrepreneur would be clarified and laid down in law.
A foreign national applying for the first residence permit as an entrepreneur could apply for a Finnish business identity code after the permit has been granted. The present rules require the applicant to have a business ID already before submitting the application, even though the permit will not necessarily be granted.
The changes are not expected to considerably impact Finland’s ability to attract international startup entrepreneurs. Instead, the aim is to create a seamless residence permit process for applicants who genuinely plan to establish a company or a startup business in Finland.
The comment period will continue until 8 July 2026. The government proposal is due to be submitted during the autumn session of 2026. The amendments would enter into force in early 2028.
Ghana
New e-visa portal launched
On 25 May 2026, the government announced the launch of the new electronic visa (e-visa) portal, along with a fee waiver for nationals of African countries.
The new electronic system allows eligible foreign nationals to submit, pay for and track applications for visas and electronic travel authorisation (ETA). The ETA is a new requirement for nationals of African countries travelling for tourism or business.
The fee for an e-visa for tourism or business is USD 260. The ETA is issued free of charge.
Ireland
New Temporary Protection Transition Scheme aimed at Ukrainian nationals
The government has announced that it is preparing a new Temporary Protection Transition Scheme for Ukrainian nationals with temporary protection, based on Stamp 4 permission.
It will be granted for a period of up to two years and renewable for periods of two years thereafter. Time on the permission will count towards naturalisation. The permission will include the whole family unit who have been resident in Ireland under temporary protection. It is intended that the application process for the new permission will open in September 2026.
The eligibility criteria for this permission will include:
- being resident in Ireland for a minimum of one year as a beneficiary of temporary protection;
- employment or self-employment for six months, with a minimum yearly salary of EUR 29,432;
- not be availing of state supported accommodation such as commercially provided, rapid build programme or hosted accommodation supported by the Accommodation Recognition Payment at the time of application.
As with moves to other permissions, it will not be possible to be granted a “Stamp 4 – Temporary Protection Transition Scheme”, and to hold Temporary Protection or any other immigration permission at the same time.
It is intended that this new permission will incentivise labour market participation, upskilling, and progression to independent living, while also providing clarity and certainty for people in advance of the expiry of Temporary Protection.
Further details on how to apply will be available in September 2026.
Malaysia
MDEC announces system updates
Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) has announced system updates in preparation for the revised expatriate salary and employment pass policy.
As part of this implementation, the following updates will take effect:
FKW Headcount Declaration Update
Effective 25 May 2026, the existing ‘FKW Headcount Declaration’ request function in the Expats System will be discontinued. Companies may continue to utilise their remaining approved FKW headcount available in the system for individual FKW applications.
Any new or additional FKW Headcount requests submitted from 3 June 2026 onwards will undergo further evaluation and approval under the revised process.
Scheduled System Maintenance
The Expats system will be temporarily unavailable due to scheduled maintenance from 1 June 2026 until 2 June 2026
During this maintenance period, companies will not be able to access the system or submit any applications. The system is expected to resume normal operations and be available for all application transactions from 3 June 2026 onwards.
In view of the scheduled downtime, companies are encouraged to review their application planning and ensure that any intended submissions are managed accordingly to support a smoother application process.
Further guidance, including the final checklist for applications under the revised policy and projection requests, will be shared in a subsequent announcement.
So far, there has been no equivalent announcement for ESD registered companies.
ESD announces delayed implementation of succession plan requirement
The Expatriate Services Division (ESD) of the Immigration Department of Malaysia has announced that it will delay the implementation of the upcoming new succession plan requirement until 1 January 2027, as part of a phased implementation approach.
As announced on 15 January 2026, the Revised Expatriate Pass Salary Policy will take effect from 1 June 2026. One of the key elements introduced under the new policy is the succession plan requirement, which aims to ensure the structured transfer of knowledge and expertise to local employees throughout the expatriate’s employment period.
New Zealand
Active Investor Plus change enables philanthropy in Growth category
On 25 May 2026, the government announced a targeted change to the Active Investor Plus Visa to support high value investment.
From 1 June 2026, new applicants in the Growth category will be able to include philanthropy, capped at 20 percent of their total investment.
The Growth category minimum investment remains NZD 5 million. Under the new settings, philanthropy can make up to 20 percent of that total (NZD 1 million), and the remaining investment must continue to be in acceptable investments.
Eligibility for registered charities to receive philanthropic gifts via the AIP Visa will also be strengthened. Charities must have been operating for at least five years, be a Tier 1-3 charity, and the philanthropic gift must be used to benefit New Zealand and cannot personally benefit the applicant.
More information, including the Minister’s announcement, is available here.
English language requirements extended to AEWV skill level 3 roles
On 25 May 2026, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) announced that, from 1 June 2026, Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) minimum English language requirements will apply to ANZSCO and NOL skill level 3 occupations.
Currently, people applying for an AEWV at ANZSCO or NOL (National Occupation List) skill level 4 or 5 must show they can speak and understand English. They can meet this requirement through their English ability from citizenship, working and studying or by taking an English language test. The required standard is the current baseline IELTS 4.0 or equivalent.
From 1 June 2026 people applying for an AEWV at ANZSCO or NOL skill level 3 will also need to meet this requirement.
Global Workforce Seasonal Visa and Peak Seasonal Visa AEWV applications are not required to meet the minimum standard of English, and the requirement does not apply to Job Change applications.
Transitional arrangements for people who already have an AEWV
No one with a current AEWV will be affected retrospectively while their visa is valid.
To ensure fairness and continuity, the following targeted transitional arrangements will apply:
- People with an AEWV whose visas expire on or before 1 December 2026 will be exempt from the new English language requirement when applying for a further AEWV at skill level 3.
- People on an AEWV who have already provided evidence that they can speak and understand English as part of a previous AEWV application will also be exempt.
For migrants, the change does not affect existing visas, employment, or current lengths of stay. The transitional arrangements are designed to ensure people already contributing to New Zealand’s workforce are treated fairly and given enough warning to arrange and sit a test and obtain the report before their visas expire. It also sets clear expectations for future applicants, noting that not all individuals will be covered by an exemption.
For employers, the change provides greater consistency and clarity across skill levels and allows forward planning when recruiting into skill level 3 roles from 1 June 2026.
Migrants who apply for an AEWV at skill level 3 from 1 June onwards will need to meet the new English language requirements, even if their employer received a job check token before 1 June 2026.
Sweden
Government publishes list of occupations exempt from new salary requirement
From 1 June 2026, new rules for work permits will apply in Sweden. One of the changes is a new salary requirement stipulating that, in order to obtain a work permit, the salary must amount to at least 90 percent of the median salary in Sweden at the time of application.
The government has decided that certain occupational groups will not be subject to the salary requirement. Through amendments to the Aliens Ordinance, around twenty occupations are exempted from the salary threshold (listed here). For these occupations, the salary instead must amount to at least 75 percent of the median salary in Sweden at the time of application. The exemption for these occupations will apply from 1 June 2026.
Pending applications
At present, the Swedish Migration Agency has approximately 2200 open work permit cases (first-time applications). The majority of these applications will not be processed before 1 June. Of these 2200 cases, around 120 concern applications for work permits in occupations may now be exempt from the salary requirement. For all others, the salary requirement must be fulfilled in order for a work permit to be granted after 1 June 2026.
Extension applications
Those who currently have a work permit according to the rules that apply now and who apply for an extension between 1 June and 1 December 2026 are not covered by the new salary requirement. For these individuals, current rules apply instead: the monthly salary must be at least 80 percent of the median salary that Statistics Sweden (SCB) has published and was current when you applied. Currently, that is 29,680 SEK.
Work permit holders can apply for an extension no more than two months before your current permit expires.
Additional groups exempted
Four additional categories of applicants are also exempt from the 90 percent requirement. For these groups as well, the salary must amount to 75 percent of the median salary:
- former students who are allowed to apply for a work permit from within Sweden,
- persons with foreign qualifications seeking employment in order to obtain a Swedish licence as a pharmacist, doctor, nurse or dentist,
- persons granted residence permits with or after temporary protection under the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive, who apply for permits based on employment,
- employees at certain tech or life science companies. The company must be in a start-up phase, less than five years old, and have fewer than one hundred employees.
The exemption for these groups will apply from 11 June 2026.
Occupations excluded from eligibility for work permits
The new rules also mean that employment in two occupations will no longer qualify for a work permit, regardless of employment conditions. These two occupations are personal assistants and forest berry pickers.
Most people working in berry picking apply for seasonal work permits and are therefore not affected by the exclusion. However, there are approximately 60 work permit applications concerning employment as personal assistants. For this occupational group, the exclusion means that work permits can no longer be granted for employment within that occupation.
New notification requirement
The changes also mean that the government is introducing a new notification requirement for employers, with the aim of preventing fraud and abuse. Employers with an employee holding a work permit in Sweden must notify the Swedish Migration Agency if the employee has not started working within four months from the date the permit came into effect. In addition, information about employers contained in suspicion and criminal records registers may be disclosed to the Swedish Migration Agency in work permit cases.
United Arab Emirates
Stricter Wage Protection System rules from 1 June 2026
On 12 May 2026, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) published Ministerial Resolution No. 0340 of 2026, which updates the rules for the Wage Protection System (WPS) for private sector employees. The new rules, which aim to strengthen compliance and transparency amongst private sector employers, take effect on 1 June 2026.
Under the new rules, employee salaries are due on the first day of each month, while companies are granted a regulatory grace period of up to 10 days before administrative penalties are applied. Previously, wages could be paid up until the fifteenth day of the month.
Employers will be considered compliant if at least 85% of wages are paid on time (previously 80%).
From the second day of the month, notifications and warnings will be issued to companies which have failed to pay salaries on time. On the fifth day of delay, noncompliant employers may be suspended from obtaining new work permits. On the eleventh day, administrative measures may be applied and, on day 16, permit suspensions may be extended and labour disputes automatically triggered. By day 21, further escalations may include travel bans and public prosecution.
All wage payments must be made via WPS, and employers must submit proof of payment to the Ministry.
Employers are advised to review and update their salary payment systems and to communicate these changes to their employees.
United States
US Citizenship and Immigration Services will grant ‘adjustment of status’ only in extraordinary circumstances
On 22 May 2026, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a new policy memo reiterating the fact that, consistent with long-standing immigration law and immigration court decisions, foreign nationals seeking adjustment of status must do so through consular processing via the Department of State outside the United States.
Officers are directed to consider all relevant factors and information on a case-by-case basis when determining whether an alien warrants this extraordinary form of relief.
An official stated that, from now on, a foreign national who is in the US temporarily and wants a Green Card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances.
India Per-Country Limit Reached in the EB-2 Category
On 22 May 2026, the State Department announced that, working in close collaboration with US Citizenship and Immigration Services, it has issued all available immigrant visas in the Employment-Based Second Preference (EB-2) category for applicants chargeable to India for fiscal year (FY) 2026.
The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) limits the number of employment-based preference immigrant visas that may be issued within a fiscal year. Specifically, INA 203(b)(2) provides that the annual limit for EB-2 visas is 28.6 percent of the worldwide employment limit. Additionally, INA 202(a)(2) establishes that natives of any single foreign state may not receive more than seven percent of the total of employment-based and family-sponsored visas, which is prorated among the different visa categories under INA 202(e).
Since all available EB-2 visas for applicants chargeable to India in FY 2026 have been used, embassies and consulates may not issue visas in these cases for the remainder of the fiscal year. The annual limits will reset with the start of the new fiscal year (FY 2027) on 1 October 2026. At that point, embassies and consulates may resume issuing immigrant visas in this category to qualified applicants.