Global Immigration News

Armenia

Residency services to be digitized

The Migration and Citizenship service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs has announced that, effective 1 November 2026, a new system for accepting applications for residency status will be launched  and procedures will be carried out electronically via the new online platform.

Due to these changes, the services provided via the “migration.e-gov.am” electronic platform and the “Early One” application will no longer be available from 1 November 2026.

Foreign nationals who have booked appointments for dates after 1 November 2026 can submit their applications for residency status through the newly introduced electronic system.

Australia

Extension for Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMAs)

South Australia’s two Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMAs) have been extended for three months until 30 September 2026, while negotiations conclude for a new five-year statewide DAMA.

The current terms and conditions of both DAMAs remain unchanged since the last variation in June 2025 and can be accessed on the Move to South Australia website.

Whilst a formal announcement has not been issued by the Department of Home Affairs, it is important to note that the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) will change on 1 July 2026. Employers should be aware of this when conducting Labour Market Testing for a position under the South Australian DAMA.

Further announcements on the new five-year DAMA will be made once negotiations have concluded.

Canada

Updated police certificate rules for International Experience Canada

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has updated its participation eligibility requirements for the International Experience Canada (IEC) programme to clarify the police certificate requirement.

According to the updated instructions, published on 17 June 2026:

• For an applicant’s current country or territory of residence, the police certificate cannot be older than six months from the date the work permit application was received. Previously, the starting date of this six-month period was not specified.
• Applicants that have lived in additional countries or territories for 6 months or more since age 18 must provide a police certificate from each of those countries. The police certificate(s) must have been issued after the last time they lived there.
• US citizens and permanent residents applying under a recognized organization with only US residence do not need an upfront police certificate. However, if they have lived in other countries for six months or more since age 18, they must provide certificates from those countries issued after the last time they lived there.
• If an applicant is from a country or territory that does not require a police certificate, the officer may still request one. The police certificate cannot be older than six months from the date the work permit application was received.

International Experience Canada (IEC) gives international youth the opportunity to travel and work in Canada for up to two years. Canadians aged 18 to 35 can also participate in IEC.

There are 3 different kinds of work and travel experiences available: Working Holiday, Young Professionals and International Co-op (Internship)

Citizens of a partner country may be able to apply to one or more of these three categories.

Quebec establishes new reception period for family reunification applications

The Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) announced the following details of the new rules:

Number of applications to be received

MIFI will receive a maximum of 15,700 undertaking applications from 2 July 2026 to 30 June 2028 inclusive. This number is distributed as follows:

• A maximum of 13,300 undertaking applications by a guarantor for their spouse, common-law spouse, or conjugal partner
• A maximum of 2,400 undertaking applications by a guarantor for their father, mother, grandfather, grandmother or any other relative specified here.

This ceiling makes it possible to respect the annual immigration levels planned by Québec in the family reunification category.

If the maximum number of undertaking applications that can be received is attained before 30 June 2028 in one of the sub-categories above, the MIFI will not receive any more applications in this sub-category until that date.  

Reception calendar

To prioritize people who have been waiting a long time to submit an application to the MIFI, the reception of applications will be structured into different reception periods based on the date of the letter of eligibility issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Details regarding the reception calendar for applications will be specified in this document and will be published in the ministerial order on application management and on Quebec.ca from 23 June 2026.

Exemptions

The maximum number of undertaking applications to be received and the reception calendar do not apply to certain types of undertaking applications.

The MIFI will receive beyond the ceiling and at any time, from 2 July 2026 to 30 June 2028, undertaking applications in which a person applies to sponsor:

• their dependent child
• a minor child they wish to adopt
• an orphaned minor child who is their brother, sister, nephew, niece, grandson or granddaughter

Applications to add a family member (child or spouse) of the person already covered by a prior undertaking application or by a concluded undertaking and who is awaiting admission as a permanent resident are also exempt.  

Rules governing the admissibility of applications

To be admissible, the undertaking applications must respect the following rules:

• Be submitted using the forms available on Québec.ca and accompanied by all of the required documents listed on the undertaking application form, including the IRCC’s letter of eligibility for sponsorship or the IRCC’s confirmation of receipt in the case of a sponsorship application for a member in the spouse and common-law spouse category in Canada;
• The date indicated on the IRCC’s letter of eligibility or confirmation of receipt must respect the parameters of the reception calendar for applications published in the ministerial order of 23 June 2026, therefore, if an application is received before the planned period specified in this calendar, it will be considered ineligible and returned to the guarantor. This rule does not apply to applications exempt from the ceilings;
• Be submitted by postal mail to the address indicated on Québec.ca. It will not be possible to submit an application in person to the MIFI offices;
• Include only one application per envelope. 

Egypt

Expedited work permits for tourism workers

The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Ministry of Labour have announced a temporary initiative to expedite work permit services for foreign. Nationals seeking to work in the tourism sector.

Effective from 15 June 2026 for 15 days, the initiative aims to facilitate procedures for obtaining work permits in tourist facilities in a number of areas, including Luxor, South Sinai, Red Sea, North Coast, and Alameen, with the possibility of future expansion to other provinces.

The Ministry of Labour has undertaken to process eligible work permit applications within two working days.

The initiative aims to issue temporary work permits, valid for six months, for two professions (Animation Entertainer and Sets Coordinator), exempting these categories from the condition of experience certificate and the condition of training, as well as exempting tourist facilities in certain areas from the maximum foreign employment ratio for these two professions.

France

Minimum wage increase

The French minimum wage (SMIC) increased by 2.41% on 1 June 2026, as announced earlier by the Ministry of Labour and Solidarity.

On that date, the hourly minimum wage increased from EUR 12.02 gross to EUR 12.31.  This is equivalent to a full-time gross monthly salary of EUR 1867.02 gross per month compared to EUR 1823.03 previously, which corresponds to an increase of EUR 43.99 gross per month.

This automatic adjustment affects international talent mobility and the recruitment of foreign employees in France, as several residence permits are tied to income or salary thresholds indexed to the SMIC, which are therefore automatically increased as well. This applies in particular to the Talent “Business Creator”, the French Tech Visa for Founders, and the Talent “Corporate Officer” permits.

Gibraltar

Government announces new Residence Criteria framework

On 17 June 2026, the government of Gibraltar announced a new Residence Criteria framework designed to ensure that residency in Gibraltar is based on genuine economic contribution, regulatory compliance and to protect the ability to continue to provide public services in Gibraltar to Gibraltarians.

The principal new residency requirements include:

• An employment contract with a salary equivalent to the average gross annual earnings in Gibraltar as per the Employment Survey Report (currently £37,500  rounded up to the nearest 500).
• Employment by a fully registered business that has been trading in or from Gibraltar for at least a year.
• Evidence of the rental/purchase of a property in Gibraltar, to be used as the applicant’s primary residence.
• Proof that the applicant is 55 years old or under.
• An official vetting form from the country of origin.
• If the applicant is under 30 years of age, the salary requirement may be waived if the Employer pays the tax and social insurance contributions as if the employee’s salary met the requirement, until they reach the salary threshold.
• Businesses that have been trading for less than a year or applicants who are self-employed must provide an advance payment in the form of a deposit equivalent to the total employee and employer social insurance contribution for the first year of employment; and the total tax payable on the equivalent of the average gross annual earnings in Gibraltar (taxable at 25%). This deposit will be returned upon the cessation of business.
• Any unmarried partner of an individual with Gibraltarian Status will be permitted to reside in Gibraltar where evidence is provided of a durable relationship of at least two years. Any individual who is applying for Residence in Gibraltar and wishes their spouse to reside with them must pay an amount equivalent to the maximum employee’s Social Insurance contribution to the government, on behalf of their Spouse. Any individual applying for Residence may be accompanied only by their spouse and/or children

The regulations giving effect to the new framework are now being drafted and will be published later.

The new residence policy does not apply to current holders of Gibraltar Identity Cards or current Gibraltar residents who have obtained residence before 6 October 2025.

Persons who were resident before 6 October 2025 will be subject to the regime applicable on that date and the time period for the application for Gibraltarian Status will be respected.

Persons in Gibraltar before 6th October 2025 who were not holders of a residence card will be subject to this new regime, unless there is a good reason for the exercise of discretion to permit an application under the old regime.

Note that anyone who has been granted a permit of residence and currently lives on a vessel, would be permitted to continue living on a vessel. However, no future applications will be accepted from individuals living on vessels.

Iceland

Work permits move to Immigration Directorate; Students exempt

On 18 June 2026, the Icelandic Parliament (Alþingi) passed amendments to the Foreign Nationals Act and the Act on the Employment Rights of Foreign Nationals, transferring responsibility for processing applications and issuing work permits from the Directorate of Labour to the Directorate of Immigration.

The amendments will enter into force on the day following their publication in the Official Gazette, which is expected to take place within a few weeks of their passage by Alþingi.

Any work permit applications that have not been processed by the Directorate of Labour before the amendments enter into force will be handled by the Directorate of Immigration once the amendments take effect.

Until the amendments enter into force, the Directorate of Immigration does not have the legal authority to process work permit applications and is therefore unable to respond to inquiries concerning individual cases related to such applications. Applicants, employers, and other interested parties are therefore requested to refrain from submitting inquiries regarding work permits until the amendments have taken effect and further information has been published on the Directorate’s website.

The transfer of responsibilities is expected to have a temporary impact on application processing times and response times to inquiries while new procedures are being established. The Directorate of Immigration asks applicants and other stakeholders for their understanding during this transition period and thanks them for their patience as the legislative changes are implemented.

Furthermore, once the new legislation takes effect, students will no longer be required to obtain a work permit in order to work in Iceland. Students who do not currently hold a valid work permit may not begin working until the legislation has entered into force. The effective date will be announced on the Directorate of Immigration’s website.

Japan

Government announces significant visa fee increase

At a press conference on 19 June 2026, the Minister for Foreign Affairs announced a decision to increase entry visa fees by 400%, effective 1 July 2026.

The fee for a single-entry visa will increase from JPY 3000 to JPY 15,000, while the fee for a multiple-entry visa will be raised from JPY 6000 to JPY 30,000.

United Arab Emirates

UAE grants visa-on-arrival to eligible Filipinos

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) of the Philippines has announced that, effective 25 June 2026, certain Filipino citizens are eligible for a visa on arrival for entry to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Nationals of the Philippines travelling to UAE using their Philippine passports will be eligible for the grant of a visa-on-arrival if they hold a valid visa, residence permit, or Green Card issued by any of the following countries: United States, EU member states,  Australia, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Canada and New Zealand,.

Eligible travellers have the following options in obtaining their visas:

• A 14 day stay for a fee of AED 100, which may be extended once for an additional 14 days for a fee of AED 25;
• A non-extendable 60-day stay with a fee of AED 250.

United Kingdom

Second ballot of the 2026 Youth Mobility Scheme for Hong Kong and Taiwan youth announced

On 23 June 2026, the government announced that the second (and final) ballot for the 2026 Youth Mobility Scheme will open from 12:01am on Tuesday 14 July 2026 and close at 12:01am on Thursday 16 July 2026.

As in previous years there are a total of 1000 places available to Taiwanese youth for 2026, and 1000 places for Hong Kong youth.

Most places are allocated during the first ballot in February, while the remaining places are made available in a second ballot in the summer. Those who are successful in the ballot and go on to make an application and be issued a visa will be able to live, work and study in the UK for up to two years.

Once the ballot closes, allocations will be chosen at random by UKVI. Those who are successful will receive an email by Thursday 30 July 2026 to confirm acceptance and provide further instructions on how to start the online application, along with documentary evidence required to apply for entry clearance.

Applicants then have 90 days to submit a completed application , pay the visa fee and attend a visa application centre biometrics appointment.

Those who are unsuccessful in the ballot will receive an email within two weeks of the ballot closing. The results of the ballot are final. Unsuccessful applicants cannot appeal but can enter future ballots if they continue to meet the eligibility requirements.

Background

The scheme allows successful applicants to live and work in the UK for up to two years.

Applications for the Youth Mobility scheme visa can be submitted by nationals of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Korea aged 18 to 35; and nationals of Andorra, Hong Kong SAR, Iceland, Japan, Monaco, San Marino, Taiwan and Uruguay aged 18 to 30.

Applicants from Hong Kong or Taiwan must be selected in the Youth Mobility Scheme ballot before they can apply for their visa. Japanese and South Korean nationals no longer need to enter the ballot and can enter at any time online.

There is a separate ballot for the India Young Professionals Scheme for Indian nationals aged between 18 and 30 years.

United States

Proposed increase to naturalization fee

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has published a proposed rule to adjust the fees that US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) charges for Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, and Form N-336, Request for a Hearing on a Decision in Naturalization Proceedings Under Section 336.

The proposed rules would also eliminate both the reduced fee option for Form N-400, and the availability of fee waivers for both forms.

Current and former armed forces service members would remain exempt from paying the fees when filing for naturalization under statutes for members of the armed forces. The proposed rule is intended to align these fees with the relative costs to adjudicate these forms.

Written comments on the proposed changes must be submitted on or before 24 August 2026