On May 28, 2026, the Audio Visual Committee of AILA’s Global Migration Section held its 4th Section Call on Global Mobility Trends in 2025: What Changed, What’s Next, and How Companies Are Managing in 2026?
The Call was co-moderated by GMS colleague, Jane Pilkington, from Dublin, Ireland and myself. We had Immigration and Global Mobility experts from Canada, Mexico, India, and Germany. The topics discussed trends in US, Ireland, Canada, Mexico and India:
- Policy tightening, policy volatility and policy complexity (change with minimal notice, impacting workforce planning etc.)
- Cost and Compliance Pressures (salary thresholds, government fees, clawbacks, remote and hybrid work)
- Access and Adjudication Risk (processing times, stricter standards, travel bans, and impact on business speed-to-hire and recruitment)
- Talent Strategy Shifts (AI, remote work models, short-term/alternative assignments) where skills shortage and staffing gaps remain, employee retention and maintaining a competitive edge in innovation and market expansion are key
- Changes in family reunification policies (processing times, increased financial thresholds and definition of “dependents”)
Key takeaways from the discussion:
- There is a tightening of immigration compliance and enforcement in all jurisdictions;
- Family migration routes are being tightened with narrower definitions of “dependents” and more burdensome financial support /sponsorship requirements;
- Need for close collaboration with immigration counsel by employers to assess in workforce planning, be agile and pivot to other alternate work permit options as needed:
- Early warning signals to watch for in adjudication trends; and be informed.
- With fast moving changes in work permit programs, mobility teams should partner more closely with business and talent teams, and immigration counsel upfront, amid uncertainty.
- Assess seniority and qualifications of international transferees for a successful adjudication