Global Mobility Retrospective 2025

In 2025, the Global Mobility landscape continued to evolve significantly, with legislative and regulatory updates directly impacting the international mobility of professionals and foreign workers. In this changing environment, strategic decisions began to require ongoing monitoring and advance planning of international assignments and hires.

With the aim of gathering and organizing the main updates of the year, we’ve prepared this Global Mobility 2025 retrospective, highlighting changes in migration policies, new work visa regimes, adjustments to rules on entry and stay, as well as initiatives adopted by different countries to regulate labor immigration. This overview is targeted at legal departments, human resources, and corporate mobility teams seeking regulatory predictability and risk mitigation.

This Legal Update consolidates key milestones from 2025 and presents a concise view of the main changes in labor migration regulation, with a focus on the practical impacts for businesses and global talent management.

Brazil Establishes New National Policy on Migration, Refuge and Statelessness

In October 2025, the New National Policy on Migration, Refuge and Statelessness (Decree No. 12,657 of October 7, 2025) entered into force, with the aim of consolidating guidelines for the Brazilian State’s actions on migration matters. The policy sets out principles, objectives and lines of action focused on the management of migratory flows, reinforcing a human-rights-based approach, interinstitutional cooperation and alignment with international commitments assumed by Brazil.

The new policy promotes coordination among federal agencies and guides states and municipalities in the formulation of actions related to migration, refuge, and statelessness. The text reaffirms international commitments and provides for the integration of public policies on labor, health, education and social assistance, with an emphasis on social inclusion and access to basic rights by migrants, refugees, and stateless persons. From a business standpoint, the strengthening of public governance tends to increase operational predictability for short- and medium-term mobility.

In this context, it is noteworthy that this new policy amends Decree No. 9,199/2017, which regulates the Migration Law, expanding the scope of activities allowed under the Visit Visa. The change now expressly permits foreigners holding a Visit Visa to provide technical assistance services or carry out technology transfers arising from a contract, cooperation agreement or covenant entered into between a foreign legal entity and a Brazilian legal entity, expanding the legal basis for short-term technical assignments.

What Changed?

With this amendment, Brazil grants greater flexibility for the performance of short-term technical activities, provided the rules applicable to the Visit Visa are observed. Among others, the following limitations remain in force:

• Maximum stay of 90 days, extendable once for an equal period;
• The prohibition on receiving remuneration in Brazilian territory; and
• The prohibition on establishing an employment relationship or performing remunerated work in the country.  [make this sentence flush left minus bullet point] Thus, in these cases, remuneration must occur exclusively abroad.

The regulation maintains the understanding that the Visit Visa is intended for temporary stays without an intention to reside. The concept of business activities covers, in addition to the recently included technical assistance and technology transfer, participation in meetings, trade fairs and corporate events, journalistic coverage, filming, commercial prospecting, contract performance, audits, and consulting, always within the temporal and legal limits of visitor status. In terms of compliance, the update enables technical projects and systems integration with less regulatory friction, while preserving the dividing line between business visits and work that depends on specific authorization.

In the context of labor immigration, the New National Policy reinforces the importance of migratory regularity and compliance with the rules governing entry, stay and the performance of professional activities by foreigners in Brazil. In parallel, the adjustment to the regulatory framework signals an effort to modernize and respond to contemporary demands of the business environment and international cooperation, facilitating cross-border operations and mobility.

The creation of the National Policy on Migration, Refuge and Statelessness represents an institutional milestone by systematizing guidelines previously applied in a fragmented manner, providing a clear frame of reference for the development of future rules and initiatives related to migration in Brazil, including with respect to the international mobility of professionals and the provision of short-term cross-border services. For organizations, this frame of reference contributes to greater regulatory predictability and planning of mobility programs.

Brazil Reintroduces Visa Requirements for US, Australian, and Canadian Citizens

On April 10, 2025, Brazil reintroduced visa requirements for citizens of the United States, Australia, and Canada for short-term travel, reversing the previously applicable waiver. The measure places such travelers back under the ordinary visa regime, requiring a prior application in accordance with the purpose of the trip, and generally impacting the planning of corporate travel, technical visits, and business agendas of multinational teams.

In the context of other 2025 updates, the reintroduction of the visa requirement is in line with a movement to strengthen migration controls and enhance regulatory predictability. This calls for careful classification between the Visit Visa—with its limitations on length of stay, remuneration abroad and prohibition of employment relationships—and specific work authorizations. In practical terms, the travel preparation cycle and document management processes have become more relevant to avoid rescheduling and additional costs.

Implementation of Mandatory ETA in the United Kingdom and Impacts on Mobility

In January 2025, the United Kingdom began requiring an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for Brazilians and other nationalities previously exempt from visas for short stays. The measure forms part of a broader strategy to strengthen controls and modernize entry systems, aligning the country with practices already adopted by other jurisdictions and increasing the degree of advance screening.

This authorization must be requested electronically in advance and is linked to the traveler’s passport, imposing new steps in the planning of professional travel. From a corporate standpoint, the implementation of the ETA reinforces the need to assess the purpose of the trip and ensure proper document governance, guaranteeing the correct classification of activities. Although the ETA allows short-term visits, it does not replace work visas, nor does it authorize remunerated activities in the country, which demands strict compliance to mitigate the risk of regulatory breaches. The requirement consolidates the global trend toward digitalization and pre-border control.

Changes to US Visa Rules in 2025

Throughout 2025, the United States implemented relevant changes to policies and procedures for issuing nonimmigrant visas, particularly those used for temporary travel and corporate mobility. The measures signal a return to more stringent criteria after the flexibilities adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a direct impact on travel timelines and success rates in renewals.

In February 2025, important changes took effect regarding the issuance and renewal of non-immigrant visas, including the B1/B2. The period for renewal with a waiver of the in-person interview was reduced from 48 to 12 months. At the same time, consular screening procedures were reinforced, with more detailed review of applications. Increased scrutiny may result in additional document requirements and, in some cases, denials, especially where there are doubts about the purpose of the trip or the applicant’s migration history.

As of October 1, 2025, new procedures have been applied specifically to B1/B2 applications and renewals, both for initial requests and renewals of previously granted visas, reiterating the shortening of the period for interview waivers and adjustments to the eligibility criteria for avoiding an in-person appearance. The rules strengthen individualized assessment and the importance of consistency in information and in the declared purpose of travel. Although the B1/B2 remains suitable for short-term activities related to business or tourism, adherence to the boundaries between business visits and activities requiring a specific work visa has become even more sensitive.

Portugal Proposes Restrictions on Regularization and Adjustments to Citizenship Access

In June 2025, the Portuguese government announced its intention to tighten rules on the regularization of immigrants, especially regarding foreigners who enter as tourists and subsequently apply for a residence permit. The proposals seek to reorient practices within the Portuguese migration regime, reinforcing the need for prior application for visas and permits in the country of origin and expanding control over labor immigration flows.

In parallel, the government indicated the possibility of extending the minimum residence period required to obtain citizenship, representing a significant change in nationality policy. In 2025, Parliament approved amendments to the Nationality Law that tightened access to citizenship, including increasing the minimum residence period for Brazilians and citizens of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries from five to seven years, as well as introducing new integration criteria and additional requirements for descendants of Portuguese nationals.

However, the new law was met with legal challenges and, in December 2025, the Constitutional Court declared several of its provisions unconstitutional, returning the text to Parliament for revision. The initiatives, which remain under debate and refinement, signal a review of Portugal’s migration policy, with stricter criteria for entry, stay, and naturalization. For corporate mobility, this scenario requires medium-term planning and constant legislative monitoring, particularly in strategies involving residence and citizenship through employment ties.

International Hiring: Italy Expands Visa Eligibility for Descendants in Brazil

On November 24, 2025, a decree-law implementing a new work visa route for descendants of Italians residing abroad was published in Italy’s Official Gazette, waiving the traditional migration quota limits. The measure allows foreigners who can prove descent from an Italian citizen and are nationals of countries with a significant history of Italian emigration to apply for a work visa outside the quotas of the Decreto Flussi. Among the countries covered are Brazil, Argentina, the United States, Australia, Canada, Venezuela, and Uruguay.

For visa issuance, the requirement for an employment contract with an Italian employer and documentary proof of Italian ancestry remains. The new regime does not waive applicable migration and labor requirements, but creates a specific route for this group of foreigners. In a context of labor shortages and demographic challenges, the initiative seeks to attract qualified profiles and strengthen ties, increasing efficiency in filling vacancies in critical sectors.

The creation of this new route represents another update to the Italian immigration system, expanding options for the regular entry of foreign workers and introducing ancestry-based criteria, without disregarding the control mechanisms provided for in current legislation. For companies operating in Italy, this additional channel may shorten hiring timelines and broaden access to talent with cultural and linguistic affinity, contributing to expansion and competitiveness strategies.

The Employment & Benefits team at Tauil & Chequer Advogados associated with Mayer Brown is available to assist companies and professionals with migration planning, structuring of contracts and mobility policies, labor and social security compliance, assessment of cross-border tax impacts and management of regulatory risks.

*This content was produced with the participation of law clerk Mariane Pereira.