World Visa Academy – Daily Global Visa & Immigration Update

Date: 13/07/2026

New Zealand
OET At-Home Testing Banned From Today – Healthcare Visa Applicants Must Use Test Centres
Active Alert | Work Visa / Health Professional

What it means:

Starting today, 13 July 2026, Immigration New Zealand requires all Occupational English Test (OET) results submitted for immigration purposes to be obtained through in-person testing. It will only accept OET results where all test components are completed at a supervised test centre.

Applicants who completed, or will complete, an at-home OET by 12 July 2026 may continue to use those results for their immigration applications. The change is intended to ensure a fair testing process, protect the integrity of the immigration system and ensure that test results accurately reflect each applicant's English language ability. 

Impact:

This affects nurses, doctors, pharmacists, and other health professionals applying under any New Zealand immigration pathway that accepts OET. Any test booked or taken at home from today onwards will not be accepted. Applicants in the pipeline who have not yet sat their OET must now book an in-person slot at an approved test centre. Consultants should contact all active health-sector clients immediately to confirm their testing arrangements and update their timelines accordingly.

Slovakia
Major Immigration Overhaul Takes Effect in Two Days – Action Needed Now
Active Alert | Work Visa / Residence Permit / Student Visa

What it means:

Slovakia is set to implement its most sweeping immigration reforms in years, with a comprehensive package of amendments taking effect on 15 July 2026. Key changes include: national visa validity extended from 90 to 120 days, unemployment grace periods extended to 3 months (under 2 years of residence) and 6 months (over 2 years), a new Central Visa Authority to standardize processing, and stricter scrutiny for business residence permits. 

Processing times for student residence permits will increase significantly, from 30 days to 90 days, requiring international students to begin applications much earlier ahead of their planned arrival. Work permit applicants will have a strict 15-day window to submit missing documents, replacing the older flexible system. 

Impact:

Consultants handling Slovak cases must act before 15 July. Students planning to arrive in Slovakia this autumn need to apply immediately — a 90-day processing window means those applying in July risk missing their intake. For employer clients, the good news is that national visas for incoming workers now last 120 days instead of 90, giving more time to complete relocation paperwork. The new Central Visa Authority will centralise processing and aim for a 40-day government timeline on visa decisions. Business residence permit applications will face tighter scrutiny on the economic substance of the activity.

Saudi Arabia
Work Permit Grace Period Extended to December 2026 – But Qiwa Auto-Removal Already Active
Active Alert | Work Permit / Labour Compliance

What it means:

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has extended until the end of 2026 the grace period for employers to rectify the status of expatriate workers whose work permits have expired for more than 12 months. The extension also applies to workers who were never issued a permit within six months of joining their employer. 

The announcement comes shortly after Saudi Arabia's Qiwa platform introduced stricter enforcement measures. From July 1, 2026, workers whose permits have expired for more than three months are automatically removed from their employers' records. However, employers remain financially liable for all outstanding work permit fees and other obligations incurred while employing workers without valid permits.

Impact:

This is a relief for employers across sectors in Saudi Arabia — especially those in construction, hospitality, and manufacturing — but it is not a free pass. Employers must log into the Qiwa platform, identify workers with expired or unissued permits, and complete renewals well before 31 December. Workers who have already been auto-removed from Qiwa records are still the employer's legal and financial responsibility until the date of removal. Consultants advising corporate clients in the Kingdom should push for an immediate internal audit of all worker permit records. Waiting until Q4 risks processing backlogs.

United Kingdom
eVisa Transition Now Fully Active – Physical Visa Stickers Ended on 1 July
Active Alert | Multiple Visa Categories

What it means:

UKVI stopped issuing visa vignette stickers to successful new applicants on 1 July 2026. If you make a successful application for a visa to come to the UK, you will now get an eVisa. This replaces previous physical immigration documents. Applicants must sign in to their UKVI account to view their eVisa and confirm permission before travelling.

This is a significant operational shift. Applicants who receive an approval will no longer see a sticker in their passport. Instead, permission exists entirely in digital form. Airlines, border officers, and sponsors must now verify status through digital channels rather than looking at physical documents.

Impact:

Consultants must prepare all clients for this process change. Every applicant needs a functioning UKVI account set up before they travel. Employers acting as sponsors should update their onboarding procedures — right-to-work checks for new arrivals must be done through the online system, not by inspecting a passport sticker. Clients who struggle with digital access should be flagged early so they can get support before travel. Common errors include mismatched account details and failure to link the eVisa to the correct travel document.

United States
TPS Work Authorization in Legal Limbo for Seven Countries – Employer Compliance Critical
Active Alert | Humanitarian / Employment Authorization

What it means:

USCIS and E-Verify have issued updated employer guidance for TPS beneficiaries from Burma, Ethiopia, Haiti, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen. For all seven countries, employers should use July 10, 2026, as the current date for Form I-9 and E-Verify purposes. Employers should not assume July 10 marks the automatic end of TPS-based employment authorization, particularly for Haiti and Syria, where litigation and agency implementation remain ongoing. 

The situation stems from the Supreme Court's 25 June ruling allowing DHS to proceed with TPS terminations for Haiti and Syria. Lower court proceedings continue, meaning the situation is actively fluid.

Impact:

US-based employers with Haitian, Syrian, Yemeni, Burmese, Somali, Ethiopian, or South Sudanese workers on TPS should not take any employment action based on an assumed expiry date. The guidance is to follow country-specific USCIS TPS pages, which are being updated regularly. Immigration consultants advising US clients must flag this to HR teams immediately — premature reverification or termination of TPS holders could expose employers to discrimination claims. Workers who may lose TPS protection should be urgently assessed for any alternate immigration pathway.

New Zealand
Skilled Migrant Category Overhaul – Final Details Confirmed, August 24 Deadline Approaching
Upcoming | Skilled Residence Visa

What it means:

Immigration New Zealand has announced further detail on changes to the Skilled Migrant Category ahead of these changes taking effect from 24 August 2026. The changes include confirmation of key occupation lists, including the Trades and Technician pathway list, and the red and amber lists which determine eligibility for residence pathways, simplified median wage settings, and extended English language test validity for some applicants. Two new residence pathways are being added. The Skilled Work Experience pathway requires five years of relevant experience including two years in New Zealand. The Trades and Technician pathway opens residence to qualified tradespeople with four years of experience including 18 months in New Zealand. Any draft expressions of interest not submitted before 24 August will be deleted from the system.

Impact:

Anyone midway through preparing an SMC application under the current rules must submit their expression of interest before 24 August. After that date, the new form takes over and all current draft EOIs are permanently deleted. Consultants with clients on this pathway need to check immediately whether they are better served by completing under the current rules or waiting for the new two-pathway system. The new median wage lock-in rule — where the threshold is set when experience begins, not when applying — is a significant improvement for long-term applicants who have been worried about wage inflation cutting them off at the final step.

Hungary
EEA Family Residence Cards Expiring on 3 August – Renewal Urgently Required
Active Alert | Residence Permit / Free Movement

What it means:

The National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing has announced that permanent residence cards issued to family members of EEA citizens and third-country family members of Hungarian citizens between 3 August 2016 and 2 August 2021 will expire on 3 August 2026. Holders of these permanent residence cards will therefore be required to apply for a new Hungarian residence permit.

This is the result of an EU regulation requiring that older format residence cards be phased out in favour of updated documents. Anyone holding a card issued in that five-year window has less than three weeks to act.

Impact:

Consultants with clients living in Hungary on EEA family residence documents must check issue dates immediately. A card expiring on 3 August leaves a very narrow window for renewal. Clients should be advised to start the renewal process this week. Failure to hold a valid document could affect employment rights, access to services, and travel within the Schengen area. The Hungarian authorities have said all affected individuals will receive notification by post to their registered address, but do not rely on this — proactively contact affected clients now.

South Africa
Online Traveller Declaration Mandatory at All Border Points From July 1
Active Alert | All Visa Categories / Travel

What it means:

Effective July 1, 2026, all travellers entering or departing South Africa through air, land, sea, and rail ports of entry are required to submit an online traveller declaration before travelling. The new South African Traveller Management System (SATMS) enables travellers to meet their legal obligation to declare goods in their possession, including currency, through the SARS Customs Online Traveller Declaration Portal, the SATMS mobile application, and Scan-to-Declare QR codes.

Travellers will not be denied entry into or departure from South Africa solely because they have not completed a declaration before arriving at a port of entry, but the system is now active and required. 

Impact:

All clients travelling to or from South Africa whether on visitor, work, or business visas must now complete the SATMS declaration in advance of every trip. Consultants should add this step to their pre-travel checklists for any South African filing or relocation. Corporate clients with frequent travellers between India, the UK, or the UAE and South Africa should ensure this is built into their travel approval process.

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

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Pro Tip for Immigration Consultants

In countries where grace periods or transitional deadlines are in place  Saudi Arabia's work permit window, Hungary's EEA card expiry, and Slovakia's incoming reforms are all current examples  the biggest risk is not the deadline itself but the processing backlog that builds as the deadline approaches. Advise clients to complete renewals now rather than in the final weeks. Early action almost always means faster outcomes and fewer complications.