Latest Updates on Immigration

Haldia seaport gets immigration checkpost status: What it means for travel

West Bengal's Haldia port becomes India's 41st seaport immigration checkpost, opening the way for smoother international movement

Haldia port in Bengal designated as 41st immigration checkpost in India

The Union home ministry has designated Haldia seaport in West Bengal as an immigration checkpost making it the 41st such seaport in county, according to a gazette notification on Monday. Last year in September, the Ministry designated 34 sea and river ports as immigration ports. The Ministry issued the orders using it powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 4 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 (13 of 2025).

Indian man jailed for over 5 years in UK-France people smuggling case

An Indian man who admitted smuggling migrants from the UK to France in the back of trucks has been jailed for more than five years by a court in south-east England. Jaskirat Singh, 25, was prosecuted by the UK's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) over his role in facilitating the illegal movement of non-British nationals between December 2024 and March 2026. Earlier this month, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to facilitate illegal immigration. Singh, who was sentenced by the Canterbury Crown Court on Thursday, is believed to have earned around 185,000 pounds through the illegal operations. "The plot was exposed when 11 Indian nationals were found hiding in the trailer of a lorry stopped at Dover in December 2024. The information they provided, along with four other Indians found in a separate lorry travelling to France in January 2025, led authorities to Singh and his address in Wolverhampton," the CPS said. The CPS said an Immigration Enforcement-led investigation uncovered extensiv

UK extends eVisa deadline for migrants holding physical immigration cards

More time for migrants to complete UK's eVisa switch as old physical immigration cards remain valid for online status linking until December 2026

Swiss voters reject bid to cap population at 10 mn in early results

Voters in Switzerland have cast their final ballots on Sunday on an initiative championed by the top right-wing party to cap the rich Alpine country's population at 10 million. Early results showed Swiss voters were leaning against it. The populist Swiss People's Party, which has the most seats in parliament, has stirred up and fostered anti-migration sentiment over the years, notably about an influx of workers from the neighbouring European Union. Some have dubbed the proposal a "Swiss Brexit" because it could jeopardise Switzerland's deep ties to the European Union anchored by deals that foster economic growth, cultural ties and cross-border travel, among other things. Switzerland is not one of the EU's 27 member states, but it is all but surrounded by four of them Recent polling from the gfs.bern agency suggested that it could be a close contest. Preliminary results shared by the federal government showed that nearly 53 per cent of voters rejected the proposal, with nationwide .

US tightens H-1B rules: Green Card process gets stricter, crackdown on low-wage hiring intensifies

The US is tightening its H-1B visa and Green Card processes, making immigration more selective.

South Africa plans immigration crackdown: Key measures, changes explained

South Africa plans stricter immigration enforcement as anti-migrant tensions and protests escalate

South Korea opens talent visa to researchers, lifts hiring cap: Details

Seoul broadens talent visa access and allows firms to hire more skilled foreign workers

Foreign visitors must register before 180-day limit for longer stay: Govt

The foreigners coming to India on a visa for 180 days or less will now have to register themselves "any time before the expiry of the said period of 180 days" in case they want to stay beyond the visa period, according to changes in the Immigration and Foreigners Rules, 2025 notified by the Union home ministry. The new provision, notified on Monday, will replace the previous rule that required the registration "within fourteen days after the expiry of one hundred and eighty days of arrival in India." "... the Immigration and Foreigners Rules, 2025 (hereinafter referred to as the said rules), in rule 12, ' (a) in sub-rule (1), ' (i) in the third proviso, for the words "within fourteen days after the expiry of one hundred and eighty days of his arrival in India", the words "any time before the expiry of the said period of one hundred and eighty days" shall be substituted," the notification published in the gazette said. The foreigners on a visa for more than 180 days with a stipulatio

Why Switzerland's 10-million population cap is worrying executives

On June 14, Switzerland will vote on a plan to cap the population at 10 million, requiring a severe reduction in immigration

US lawmakers, activists slam new green card policy, seek reversal

US lawmakers and immigration advocates have criticised sharply as "reckless and wrong," the Trump administration's new policy that requires green card seekers to make their applications from their home country. Democratic lawmakers said they will pursue every avenue to fight against the "reprehensible" decision of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and push for its reversal. The USCIS did not spell out which groups would be exempted, only suggesting that the policy may not apply to persons seeking asylum. In a statement late on Friday, USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler said that people who "provide an economic benefit or otherwise are in the national interest will likely be able to continue on their current path." It was not immediately clear whether these exceptions would extend to skilled foreign workers on H-1B visas. "This puts 1.2 million Indian Americans and their families in limbo after they followed every law, paid taxes and waited legally for decades," Ajay

Trump admin ends rule allowing migrants to stay during green card wait

Migrants to the US seeking permanent residency or a green card will have to return to their home country to file their applications, the US Citizenship and Immigration Service said on Friday. "From now on, an alien who is in the US temporarily and wants a Green Card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances," USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler said in a statement here. He said the US was returning to the original intent of the law to ensure aliens navigate its immigration system properly. "This policy allows our immigration system to function as the law intended instead of incentivising loopholes. When aliens apply from their home country, it reduces the need to find and remove those who decide to slip into the shadows and remain in the US illegally after being denied residency," Kahler said. The USCIS announced a new policy memo reiterating the fact that, consistent with long-standing immigration law and immigration court decisions, aliens seeking

H-1B registrations down; more approvals for higher degrees, salaries

Registrations for H-1B visas dropped by 38.5 per cent in fiscal year 2027 with the US saying it had approved more applicants with advanced degrees and higher salaries of those "making a real impact on the economy." The decision by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is likely to affect the Indians the most, who made up an estimated 71 per cent of all approved H-1B applications in recent years. In a post on X on Thursday, the USCIS said only 17.7 per cent of all selected registrations were in the lowest wage category. "The number of properly submitted registrations plummeted by 38.5 per cent, from 3,43,981 in fiscal year 2026 to just 2,11,600 in fiscal year 2027," the USCIS said. Nearly three-fourths of the applications approved were of persons holding masters degrees or higher, the USCIS said. "We're approving more applicants with advanced degrees and higher salaries especially those who studied at US universities. An overwhelming 71.5 per cent of selected aliens

US deportation push separated 100,000 families, report estimates

Brookings Institution analysis says most children affected by immigration enforcement are likely US citizens

Australia plans nearly 1 mn migrants by 2029: Here's what it means

Country's long-term migration roadmap signals continued demand for global talent even as it makes visa grants stricter

Datanomics: 52 countries deported Indians in the last five years

West Asia remains the largest source of deportations, but North America and Southeast Asia are seeing a rising share amid visa fraud and immigration crackdowns

India adopts 'holistic' approach to migration governance: Minister at UN

India has adopted a "holistic approach" to migration governance that places the welfare, protection and empowerment of emigrants at its core, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh has said. Addressing a special event organised by the Permanent Mission of India to the UN on Thursday on the margins of the second International Migration Review Forum (IMRF), Singh highlighted India's "pioneering" digital initiative aimed at facilitating mobility and protection of its migrants. "The Indian migration story is both vast and dynamic. We have a diaspora of over 34 million people spread all across the globe, encompassing more than 200 countries, and our global community has served to connect economies, cultures and ideas through many centuries," he said. Singh said the contribution of the Indian diaspora through remittances, investments and knowledge exchange continues to play a vital role not only in India's development but also in the countries they've integrated ...

75% of India's smaller-city students prefer Germany for studies: Report

A TerraTern survey found students from smaller Indian cities are prioritising affordability, jobs and migration pathways over traditional destinations

EU Blue Card: Czech Republic hikes salary threshold by 6.6% to Rs 3.38 lakh

The Czech Republic has increased the EU Blue Card salary threshold to 73,823 CZK as of May 1, 2026. Here's who will be affected

US immigration boosts healthcare staffing, elder care, says new study

MIT, Harvard and University of Rochester researchers found immigration growth improved healthcare staffing and elder care outcomes in US nursing homes