Global trends
Digitization, system integration, and modernization
In a continued trend from previous quarters, governments around the world are accelerating the digital transformation of immigration systems, integrating border controls and immigration workflows with broader administrative and regulatory frameworks. In Europe, the UK is rolling out eVisas and digital share codes, while the EU has launched its biometric Entry/Exit System to enhance border security and data accuracy. Similarly, the Middle East is advancing digital immigration oversight through platforms like Kuwait’s Sahel/Ashal for exit permits and the UAE’s integrated e-visa system. In APAC, Thailand’s enhanced Single Window System and New Zealand’s digital visa platforms streamline compliance for employers and applicants, while Africa is seeing rapid digitization through Nigeria’s fully online CERPAC system and South Africa’s new ETA platform. Canada is also piloting AI-driven screening at borders, and Mexico has introduced QR-code visitor visas.
This trend reflects the dual purpose of improving efficiency and speed, while enabling authorities to centralize data, automate risk assessments, and tighten control over cross-border movements.
Heightened enforcement, rising costs, and tighter eligibility
Alongside digital modernization, governments are tightening access to immigration systems through stricter enforcement measures, higher financial and salary thresholds, and more selective eligibility rules. In North America, the US is introducing new visa integrity fees, increasing H-1B costs, and imposing stricter departure timelines, while Canada is maintaining tighter work permit criteria. Across Europe, countries such as the UK, Netherlands, Norway, and France have raised salary thresholds and narrowed sponsorship eligibility, aligning migration pathways more closely with higher-skilled talent needs. Middle Eastern states like Saudi Arabia and the UAE are intensifying credential verification and compliance checks, while Türkiye and Panama have stepped up enforcement on unpermitted work and reporting obligations. This trend is also evident in APAC, where Singapore, New Zealand, and Thailand have increased wage and local-hiring requirements, and in Africa, where Nigeria has introduced steep overstay penalties and employer liability for repatriation.
These measures illustrate a global tightening of immigration controls, imposing greater accountability, higher costs, and narrower pathways for entry. However the underlying purpose of many of these measures is to ensure diligent talent selection in light of regional or national labor market needs.