World Visa Academy – Daily Global Visa & Immigration Update

Date: 12/08/2026

Colombia

Big Alert – Immigration Services

What it means

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Colombia's Chocó department on 10 August, killing more than 200 people and damaging infrastructure across Cali, Pereira, Manizales, Quibdó and Armenia. Migración Colombia suspended in-person services at seven Migration Service Facilitation Centres as a precaution while it checks the safety of its buildings, though offices elsewhere in the country continue operating normally. Seven airports, including those serving Pereira, Manizales and Cali, suspended flight operations for safety inspections, and widespread power, phone and internet outages are affecting communication in the hardest hit areas.

The Colombian government has declared a national disaster and deployed emergency teams, with several neighbouring countries offering search and rescue assistance.

Impact

Consultants with clients needing in-person immigration services in the seven affected cities should expect delays and check Migración Colombia's official channels before advising anyone to travel to an appointment. Clients with flights booked through the affected airports should confirm status directly with their airline, and anyone with urgent travel plans to or from the affected regions should build in extra time given the ongoing disruption to roads and communications.

South Africa

Breaking – Electronic Travel Authorization

What it means

President Ramaphosa formally launched South Africa's Electronic Travel Authorization system today at OR Tambo International Airport, alongside Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber, marking the flagship reform of the country's digital immigration overhaul. The system combines biometric verification and machine learning and currently covers travellers from China, India, Indonesia and Mexico entering through OR Tambo, Cape Town, Lanseria and King Shaka airports. Today's ceremony does not itself expand eligibility to new nationalities. Government has set a target of September 2026 to widen the ETA to all countries whose nationals currently need a visa.

Impact

Consultants should tell clients from countries outside the four currently covered that today's launch does not yet change their entry requirements, and the existing visa process still applies until their nationality is added. Clients from the four covered countries should be encouraged to use the ETA now, since it is faster than the traditional visa route it will eventually replace.

Peru

Active Alert – Immigration Processing

What it means

Peru's National Superintendence of Immigration is experiencing widespread processing delays across most application types, driven by staffing changes tied to the country's recent government transition and the rollout of a new TUPA, the administrative procedures framework that governs immigration regulations. The delays affect both new and renewal applications for in-country visas.

Impact

Consultants with Peru bound clients should file well ahead of any deadline and warn applicants that current processing times may run well beyond the usual standard. Clients whose status has lapsed while a renewal is pending should avoid international travel until the renewal is confirmed, since departing Peru mid process can jeopardize their status.

Mexico / Peru

Update – Consular Services

What it means

Mexico and Peru formally resumed diplomatic relations on 7 August, ending a nine month rupture that began when Mexico granted asylum to a former Peruvian prime minister. Both countries' foreign ministries confirmed the restoration in a joint statement, and Peru granted the former official safe conduct to travel to Mexico. During the suspension, the Mexican Embassy in Lima closed for extended periods and Peruvian consular posts in Mexico faced service interruptions.

Impact

Consultants with clients who had visa, work permit or legalization applications pending at either country's consular posts during the suspension should check current processing status now, since services are expected to gradually return to normal. This remains a fluid situation, so confirm each office's specific operating status before advising a client to attend an appointment.

New Zealand

Update – Skilled Migrant Category

What it means

Immigration New Zealand has released further detail on Skilled Migrant Category changes taking effect 24 August, including how qualification points will work under the new system. Applicants with a New Zealand qualification will earn one more point than those with an equivalent overseas qualification, except for doctoral and some master's degrees, and those claiming points for a Level 8 or 9 qualification must generally also hold a bachelor's degree. From 24 August, accountants who can perform the work of a Qualified Statutory Accountant and hold CPA Australia membership become newly eligible under the SMC pathway.

Impact

Consultants with clients close to lodging an SMC application should review which qualification points apply under the new rules before 24 August, since some applicants may score higher by waiting for the new settings while others should file under the current rules before they change. Accountant clients with CPA Australia membership should be told this pathway opens to them from 24 August.

European Union / Ukraine

Update – Temporary Protection Status

What it means

The Council of the EU's decision extending Temporary Protection Status for Ukrainians to 4 March 2028 entered into force on 5 August. Ukrainians who already held the status by 30 July do not need to reapply and keep their protection automatically through the new date. New applicants, however, must now prove they have fulfilled or been exempted from military service in Ukraine before receiving protection, a change aimed at men of military age. Eurostat figures released this week show 4.41 million people from Ukraine held temporary protection in the EU as of 30 June, led by Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic.

Impact

Consultants with existing Ukrainian TPS clients can confirm their status is secure through March 2028 with no action needed. Consultants advising Ukrainian men of military age who have not yet left Ukraine or applied for protection should flag that this new documentation requirement could affect their ability to obtain status going forward, and recommend they speak with an immigration lawyer familiar with the exemption categories.

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

Pro Tip for Immigration Consultants

When a natural disaster or diplomatic disruption hits a country your client is dealing with, check the government immigration agency's own channel first rather than general news coverage. These agencies often post real time updates on exactly which offices are affected, while broader news coverage lags behind or generalizes to the whole country