World Visa Academy – Daily Global Visa & Immigration Update
Date: 15/07/2026

HEADLINE:
Canada Overhauls Immigration Consultant Rules Today, India EB-2 Green Cards Suspended, Saudi Arabia Extends Expat Deadline and Australia Launches World Cup Visa Measures – Global Immigration Update for July 15, 2026

United States

India EB-2 Green Cards Suspended for Remainder of FY2026 – Annual Cap Exhausted

The US Department of State released the July 2026 Visa Bulletin confirming that the EB-2 India category is now unavailable for the remainder of fiscal year 2026. The annual cap for this category has been fully exhausted. The previous final action date for India EB-2 in June 2026 was September 1, 2013. EB-5 Unreserved India is also now unavailable for the remainder of FY2026.

The move to unavailable status means that Indian nationals in this category can no longer receive final adjudication of their adjustment of status applications or immigrant visa issuance until visa numbers become available again in the new fiscal year. The Department of State has also warned that further retrogression or additional categories becoming unavailable may occur before September 30, 2026.

EB-1 India has also retrogressed by two months to October 15, 2022, due to sustained high demand. On the positive side, EB-3 China has advanced significantly, and most other employment-based categories for non-Indian, non-Chinese nationals remain current.

What it means:

This is a hard stop, not a slowdown. No green card under EB-2 can be issued to an Indian national until October 1, 2026 at the earliest, when the new fiscal year opens a fresh allocation. For tens of thousands of Indian professionals on H-1B visas who have been waiting years for permanent residency, this effectively means another delay added to an already long backlog. The EB-5 investor route has also closed simultaneously for Indian nationals under the Unreserved category.

Impact:

Advise all Indian-national clients with pending US permanent residence cases that their approved I-140 and priority date remain fully intact. The suspension does not cancel their petition. Explore EB-3 downgrade options where the employer can support a new I-140. For clients who have not yet filed, prioritise advancing their PERM and I-140 preparation now so they are ready to file the moment numbers reopen in October. Employers sponsoring Indian workers must also revisit their H-1B extension planning immediately.

Canada

New CICC Regulations Take Force Today – Compensation Fund Live, Penalties Up to CAD $50,000

Canada's most significant overhaul of immigration consultant regulation since the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants opened in 2021 came into force today, July 15, 2026. The new regulations, formally published as SOR/2026-68, were announced by Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab on May 6, 2026, and take legal effect from today.

The College now has the authority to impose monetary penalties of up to CAD $50,000 on consultants who violate professional standards. The federal government has also gained direct oversight powers, including the ability to intervene with the CICC board when necessary. A dedicated compensation fund is now active for clients who suffered financial losses due to dishonest acts by licensed consultants. To qualify, the loss must have resulted from a dishonest act committed by the consultant on or after November 23, 2021, and the CICC discipline committee must have issued its final decision on or after today. Complaints closed before July 15 are not eligible.

From April 2027, the CICC public register will also be expanded to display each consultant's business names, contact details, licence class, suspension history with reasons, and full disciplinary record. The government cited an average of over 9,000 suspected immigration fraud cases investigated per month in 2024 as the primary driver behind the reform.

What it means:

Every licensed Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant and Regulated International Student Immigration Advisor is now operating under a tougher accountability framework. Clients anywhere in the world who are working with a Canadian immigration consultant have stronger legal protections from today. This is not a proposal or a consultation. It is in force.

Impact:

Licensed RCICs must review their compliance practices, client agreement documentation, and fee transparency policies immediately. If you refer clients to Canadian consultants, verify their credentials on register.college-ic.ca before any referral. For consultants outside Canada who provide paid advice on Canadian immigration without CICC registration or law society authorization, the risk environment has materially increased. Clients who believe they have been defrauded by a consultant should file a formal complaint through the CICC complaints process as soon as possible.

Saudi Arabia

Work Permit Grace Period Extended to December 31, 2026 – Final Window for Employers

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has extended the grace period for employers to regularize the status of expatriate workers until December 31, 2026. The previous deadline was June 30, 2026. The extension applies to foreign workers whose work permits expired more than 12 months ago and to workers who were not issued a work permit within six months of joining their employer.

This extension comes alongside a stricter rule that already came into force on July 1, 2026. Since that date, the Qiwa platform has been automatically removing workers from an establishment's official records once their work permit has been expired for more than three months. Importantly, removal from Qiwa records does not remove the employer's financial liability. Employers remain responsible for wages and all outstanding obligations owed to that worker up to the date of their official removal from the register.

The Ministry has warned that employers who fail to regularize affected workers by December 31, 2026, will face statutory penalties. Work permit renewals and new permit issuances are processed through the Qiwa platform, and employees can check their own iqama and residency status via Absher.

What it means:

Saudi Arabia has given employers a final window to address one of the most common compliance failures across the Kingdom. The extension is a relief, but it is the last one. The Qiwa auto-removal rule running in parallel means that some workers may already have been removed from records even before the December 31 deadline arrives. Removal from records is not the same as resolution. Legal and financial exposure continues regardless.

Impact:

Review every client's Qiwa employee list for expired or never-issued work permits right now. Do not wait until the end of the year. Employers who cannot renew a permit because a worker's iqama has fewer than 180 days remaining should take urgent legal advice. The work permit renewal fee is SAR 100 via the Sadad payment platform. Workers should log into Absher to verify their current status independently.

Australia

Rugby League World Cup Visa Instrument Commences Today – Zero Application Charge for Accredited Participants

A new legislative instrument took effect in Australia today. The Migration (Nil VAC Arrangements and Other Matters) Amendment (Rugby League World Cup 2026) Instrument 2026, reference LIN 26/082, removes the first instalment visa application charge for eligible participants in the Rugby League World Cup 2026.

The instrument covers applications for a Subclass 408 Temporary Activity visa under the Australian Government Endorsed Event stream. Eligible persons include members of competing teams, official coaching and support staff, match officials, broadcast rights holders, non-rights holder media personnel, accredited VIPs, and other persons participating in an official capacity. All applicants must hold valid accreditation from the Australian Rugby League Commission. The instrument applies only to visa applications lodged on or after today, July 15, and will be repealed on November 16, 2026, following the conclusion of the tournament. The Rugby League World Cup 2026 runs from October 15 across Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea.

What it means:

Accredited participants can now lodge their Australian entry visa without paying the first instalment of the Subclass 408 visa application charge. This is a targeted cost relief measure for officially sanctioned tournament personnel, standard practice for major sporting events hosted in Australia. It is not available to general tourists attending matches.

Impact:

Consultants representing athletes, coaches, media teams, and support staff from any competing nation should begin Subclass 408 AGEE applications now that the instrument is in force. Confirm that Australian Rugby League Commission accreditation is documented and in order before lodging. Applications submitted before today are not covered by this instrument and will not receive the nil VAC benefit.

United Kingdom

Statement of Changes HC 259 – 42 Immigration Rule Sections Amended, Deportation Threshold Expanded

The UK Home Office laid Statement of Changes HC 259 before Parliament on July 9, 2026, amending 42 sections of the Immigration Rules. The changes cover work, study, family, and asylum routes and represent the most extensive single rule package the UK has introduced in 2026 so far.

The most significant substantive change is an expansion of deportation liability. Foreign nationals convicted on or after March 22, 2026, who receive a suspended custodial sentence of 12 months or more will now be treated in the same way as those who receive an immediate custodial sentence for the purposes of deportation assessment. Previously, suspended sentences were not included within this threshold. The change has been inserted into both the main deportation provisions under Part 13 and into Appendix ETA and Appendix Child Student rules.

The package also introduces a statutory requirement for the Secretary of State to conduct a formal review of immigration regulations every five years and demonstrate that any regulatory burden placed on businesses, employers, and educational institutions is proportionate and justified.

The implementation timeline is staggered. Amendments to Appendix EU and Appendix EU Family Permit take legal effect on July 30, 2026. All other amendments take effect on August 3, 2026. Any application submitted before August 3 will be assessed under the rules that were in force on August 2.

What it means:

The deportation threshold change is the headline provision that affects the most people. A client who received a suspended sentence of 12 months or more for an offence committed on or after March 22, 2026, now faces the same deportation consideration as someone who served immediate jail time. This is a material change that clients with any pending or recent criminal proceedings in the UK need to understand without delay. The safe harbour provision for applications already submitted is an important protection, but it has a fixed end date.

Impact:

Review your UK client files for anyone in sponsored employment, student status, family or settlement routes, or with Appendix EU protected status. Clients with criminal proceedings anywhere in their history from March 22 onward need case-specific legal advice immediately. Employers should be made aware of the new five-year regulatory review requirement. Advise clients with time-sensitive applications to lodge before August 3 to benefit from the safe harbour provision.

No major new policy changes or big announcements reported from other countries worldwide today.

Pro Tip for Immigration Consultants

Canada's new CICC regulations are live today and the compensation fund is now open. If you advise clients on Canadian immigration from outside Canada and you are not a licensed RCIC or regulated by a provincial law society, today is the day to reassess that practice. Even where you are based internationally, verify that every consultant or lawyer you refer Canadian cases to appears on register.college-ic.ca before making that referral. Under the new rules, a bad referral can mean a defrauded client with no legal recourse, and that is a reputational risk you do not need.