World Visa Academy – Daily Global Visa & Immigration Update

Date: 10/08/2026

United States

Big Alert – TPS Work Authorization

What it means

USCIS confirmed on 7 August that Temporary Protected Status for Burma and South Sudan is terminated, and that work permits issued under these two designations are no longer valid, effective immediately. The termination had been announced months ago but was delayed by litigation, and the Supreme Court's June ruling in Mullin v. Doe cleared the way for DHS to finally implement it. South Sudan's work permits had been extended on paper through 10 August, so this announcement cuts that validity short by three days.

This follows the same pattern seen with Haiti, Syria and other designations this year: a Supreme Court ruling removed the main legal obstacle, and DHS is now working through the remaining country list one by one.

Impact

Consultants with Burmese or South Sudanese clients on TPS must tell them plainly that their work authorization has already ended, not that it is ending soon. Employers using E-Verify or completing Form I-9 for these employees need to reverify status immediately, since continuing to employ someone on an invalid EAD creates real liability. Consultants should also flag that Ethiopia's TPS work permits carry a placeholder end date of 19 August, so that country should be the next one to watch closely.

United States

Breaking – Citizenship Policy

What it means

President Trump signed two executive orders on 6 August aimed at limiting birthright citizenship, just weeks after the Supreme Court reaffirmed the constitutional guarantee in a separate case. The first order, on the meaning of American citizenship, directs federal agencies to withhold recognition of citizenship in certain narrow circumstances the administration describes as historical exceptions, including children born to foreign government employees. The second order targets so called birth tourism, directing the State Department and DHS to tighten enforcement against travel to the United States for the specific purpose of giving birth.

Legal challenges are expected quickly given the Supreme Court's recent ruling on the same underlying question.

Impact

Consultants should be careful not to overstate what these orders currently do. They do not change the citizenship of any child already born in the United States, and courts are likely to review both orders closely. Clients on visitor visas who are pregnant and planning US travel should be told that scrutiny at the visa interview and at the port of entry around this specific issue is likely to increase, even though the underlying law has not changed.

Japan

Big Alert – Permanent Residence

What it means

Japan's Immigration Services Agency published draft guidelines on 4 August that would significantly tighten permanent residence requirements for the first time with clear numerical benchmarks. Applicants would generally need household income above the average for a Japanese household of similar size, projected pension benefits equivalent to 30 years of contributions at their income level, and a defined level of Japanese language ability. Spouses of Japanese nationals would also face longer marriage and residence periods before qualifying.

The income and public burden criteria are expected to apply retroactively to applications filed from April 2026 once the guidelines take effect on 1 October, while other new criteria would apply to applications from April 2027. Public comment is open through early September.

Impact

Consultants with clients currently building a Japan permanent residence case should review income and pension projections now rather than waiting for the rules to finalize, since applications filed this year could already be judged against the new income standard. Clients close to filing should be encouraged to submit before the criteria harden further, and spousal cases should be reassessed against the longer marriage and residence thresholds being proposed.

United States

Update – Employer Compliance And Filing Fees

What it means

DHS has finalized a rule, scheduled for Federal Register publication on 10 August, expanding the 9-11 Response and Biometric Fee to cover all H-1B and L-1 extension petitions filed by covered employers, not just initial and change of employer filings as before. The fee amounts themselves, 4,000 dollars for H-1B and 4,500 dollars for L-1, are not increasing, but far more filings will now trigger them. The rule takes effect 30 days after publication. Separately, DHS is preparing a proposed rule that would eliminate the 60 day grace period nonimmigrant workers currently get after their employment ends, though this is still under review and would need a public comment period before taking effect.

Impact

Consultants advising large employers with heavy H-1B or L-1 workforces should flag the expanded fee now so budgets for routine extensions account for it from September onward. The 60 day grace period proposal is not yet final, but consultants should start warning clients on employer sponsored visas that this safety net for finding new sponsorship after a layoff may shrink or disappear, and should encourage anyone currently relying on it to move quickly.

Canada

New IRCC Update – Manitoba PNP And Work Permits

What it means

IRCC and the Manitoba government confirmed a new Workforce Transition Bridge policy allowing open work permits for temporary workers who received a Manitoba support letter in 2024 or 2025 but are still waiting on their provincial nomination, extending the nomination deadline to the end of 2027. Separately, IRCC corrected its guidance for reciprocal employment work permits under code C20 on 6 August, removing new wording that would have required the worker to already be employed abroad before entering Canada, which had alarmed multinational employers when it first appeared.

Impact

Consultants with Manitoba PNP clients whose 2024 or 2025 support letter is about to expire should check eligibility for the new bridge policy immediately, since only around 2,700 letters are available. Consultants handling C20 intra company or reciprocal employment cases can now proceed on the previous, more flexible basis, since the restrictive current employment requirement has been withdrawn.

Slovak Republic

Active Alert – Consular Processing

What it means

All Slovak consular posts in India, including the Embassy in New Delhi and honorary consulates in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Kolkata, paused visa appointment bookings from 6 August due to a surge in demand, with no confirmed date for resuming. Immigration professionals report that the posts are not responding to emails or phone calls during the pause.

Impact

Consultants with Indian clients needing a Slovak national visa or Schengen visa through Slovakia should pause new filings until bookings reopen and check document expiry dates for anyone already in process, since apostilled and translated documents can lapse during an open ended delay. Clients with urgent Schengen travel needs should be advised to consider applying through a different Schengen country's consulate in India instead.

Malaysia

Update – Employment Pass

What it means

Malaysia raised the salary threshold for exemption from Labour Market Testing under MyFutureJobs from MYR 15,000 to MYR 20,000 a month, effective from 7 August. This aligns with the wider Employment Pass salary overhaul that took effect on 1 June. Expatriate roles offering less than the new threshold must now be advertised on the local jobs portal before an Employment Pass application can proceed, unless another exemption applies.

Impact

Consultants with employer clients planning Employment Pass hires between MYR 15,000 and MYR 19,999 a month should factor in the mandatory local advertising step now, since skipping it will delay filing. Roles already exempt under intra company transfer, shareholding or senior management categories are unaffected.

South Africa

Upcoming – Electronic Travel Authorization

What it means

President Ramaphosa will officially launch South Africa's Electronic Travel Authorization system on 12 August at OR Tambo International Airport, following a pilot that ran through the G20 presidency for travelers from China, India, Indonesia and Mexico. The launch does not immediately make the ETA mandatory for visa exempt travelers, who can still enter visa free for up to 90 days, but visa required nationals will be added to the mandatory ETA system as their countries are phased in over the coming months.

Impact

Consultants with clients travelling to South Africa from visa required countries should start monitoring the official portal from 12 August onward for their nationality's phase in date, since arriving without a required ETA will mean denied boarding or entry. Visa exempt clients can continue as before for now, though applying for the optional ETA may speed up border processing once it is available more broadly.

No major new policy changes or big announcements reported from the Middle East, Oceania, or South America today.

Pro Tip for Immigration Consultants

When a TPS or work permit end date is described as a placeholder or an extension pending litigation, always confirm the current status on the day of advising rather than relying on last week's date, since several of these deadlines have now been cut short by days or weeks with almost no notice.