WorseIn force since 1 October 2026
Permanent residency in Japan: higher bar on income, language and years of marriage
What changed
The Immigration Services Agency revised its permanent residence guidelines. Officers now weigh household income (it has to be above the average for a Japanese household of the same size), expected pension and savings, timely payment of taxes and contributions including past arrears, long absences from the country, Japanese at roughly B1 level, knowledge of the law and children's school attendance.
For spouses of citizens and permanent residents the shortcut got longer: five years of marriage and three years of residence instead of three and one. For children the minimum residence rose from one year to three.
What it means for you
Anyone choosing Japan as a permanent base now has to plan for permanent residency from year one: language, the whole family's income, pension record, clean tax history and unbroken residence. For a family profile the open-ended status moves years further away.
Watch out
B1 is not required of everyone: some highly skilled professionals and their families are exempt. Exact income thresholds and the way to prove the language level are not fully published. The new criteria apply mainly to applications filed from 1 April 2027, but some applications filed since April 2026 and still pending are already affected. Permanent residence already granted is not revoked.
Sources: Immigration Services Agency of Japan: permanent residency guidelines, revised 1 October 2026 · Envoy Global: Japan revises permanent residence guidelines
More about the country: Moving to Japan
MixedIn force since 16 September 2026
Permanent residency through property in Panama: resale homes now start at 500,000
What changed
Decree No. 17 split the investment threshold. A new, never-occupied unit bought directly from the developer still qualifies from 300,000 balboas (pegged one to one to the US dollar); a resale property qualifies from 500,000. A property counts as resale if it was ever sold, occupied, rented out or transferred to a third party. Securities qualify from 500,000, bank deposits depend on the type of bank.
What it means for you
A buyer of a resale home now needs 200,000 more, roughly two thirds extra. The lower threshold steers applicants into new builds and adds developer, construction-quality and liquidity risk of a specific project. For anyone who was looking at new builds anyway, the programme is almost unchanged.
Watch out
Check whether the property meets the strict definition of a first sale. Proof of origin of funds, registration documents and, where needed, a valuation are required. The investment has to be held for at least five years. Contracts signed before 16 September may fall under transitional rules, but that has to be verified document by document.
Sources: Gaceta Oficial de Panamá: Decree No. 17 · IMI Daily: Panama raises investor visa property minimum
More about the country: Moving to Panama
WorseProposed rule, comments open until 13 November 2026
US: renewals of H-1B, L-1 and O-1 work visas would be reviewed from scratch
What changed
The Department of Homeland Security and USCIS propose to remove the mandatory deference to a prior petition approval when a new filing involves the same parties and the same facts. Today an officer normally starts from the earlier positive decision unless there was a material error, a change of circumstances or new adverse information. If the rule is adopted, every new Form I-129, above all an extension of status, could be assessed in full as if for the first time.
What it means for you
For a professional who picks the US as a multi-year work base, the first approval stops guaranteeing calm renewals. Dependence on the employer, on the completeness of the evidence package and on the individual officer grows. Fragomen expects more requests for evidence, longer timelines and more denials: after the previous removal of deference in 2017, denial rates for H-1B extensions reached 24 percent and for L-1B 35 percent.
Watch out
The rule is not adopted yet and does not affect current filings. It concerns Form I-129 and does not mean a review of every visa already issued. The text and the effective date may still change.
Sources: Federal Register: Removing deference to prior USCIS determinations of eligibility · Fragomen: analysis of the proposal, 13 October 2026
More about the country: Moving to the US
MixedNew government's programme, not law
Quebec: the new government wants to halve immigration and raise the French bar
What changed
The party that won the 5 October election intends to cut the number of temporary residents from over 500,000 to 250,000-300,000 within four years, international students from about 120,000 to 50,000 and annual permanent admissions from 45,000 to 35,000, to put a moratorium on direct economic immigration from outside the province and to select candidates among those already in Quebec. The French requirement rises to intermediate on entry and intermediate-to-advanced at selection. The programme promises faster reunification of spouses and children and may replace employer-tied permits with regional or sector permits.
What it means for you
For a professional without confident French, a student or a candidate counting on Quebec permanent residency straight from abroad, the available route may close. For someone already working or studying in the province and speaking French, the position may improve: the new model favours local status and experience. For families the signal is partly positive.
Watch out
This is a programme, not an adopted law. The current benchmark still stands: Quebec's 2026-2029 immigration plan with about 45,000 permanent admissions a year. The party leads a minority government, so scale and timing may change. The first formal step is expected in the annual immigration plan after the National Assembly resumes in November.
Sources: Fragomen: Incoming Quebec government proposes lower immigration targets · Government of Quebec: current immigration orientations 2026-2029
More about the country: Moving to Canada
WorseBill, in consultation since 1 October 2026
Iceland: permanent residency after 6 years instead of 4 and tighter family moves for non-EEA citizens
What changed
The government published a bill: the residence required for a permanent permit rises from four to six years, spouses face age requirements and two years of cohabitation, family reunification conditions change, and au pair permits for non-EEA citizens are abolished. At the same time a separate permit for victims of labour-market abuse is introduced.
What it means for you
For a foreigner from outside the EEA the road to an open-ended status becomes two years longer and moving with a partner or family less flexible. Iceland gets worse precisely for people who value a fast permanent status and moving together.
Watch out
Still a draft. Existing permits are not cancelled and EEA citizens are not affected. The final wording and the effective date are unknown.
Sources: Government of Iceland: announcement of the bill, 1 October 2026 · Crown World Mobility: Immigration weekly update, 15 October 2026
More about the country: Moving to Iceland
BetterAnnounced 9 October 2026, spouses from 1 January 2027
Malaysia: nomads may stay beyond two years, expat spouses get the right to work
What changed
Budget 2027 announced two measures. Holders of the DE Rantau nomad pass who reach the two-year limit will be able to keep living in the country and working remotely if they meet set criteria. From 1 January 2027 spouses of Employment Pass Category I holders who are on a Dependant Pass will be allowed to work.
What it means for you
For a remote worker Malaysia becomes a realistic base for several years: leaving after two years no longer looks automatic. For a family with one work contract the main drawback of the move disappears: the forced career pause of the second partner.
Watch out
The right to work is promised only to spouses of Employment Pass Category I holders, not to all Dependant Pass holders. Procedures, limits and the launch date of the DE Rantau extension are not published yet. A long stay can make you a tax resident of Malaysia.
Sources: Prime Minister's Office of Malaysia: Budget 2027 speech · EIG Law: Malaysia Budget 2027 expands work rights for expat spouses
More about the country: Moving to Malaysia
BetterAnnounced 6 October 2026
Saudi Arabia: a highly skilled worker's family enters together with them
What changed
A qualifying professional can now obtain entry visas for the family at the same time as their own work visa is processed. The family means the spouse, sons under 25 and unmarried daughters; their residence permits are completed after arrival. Until now the family's paperwork usually started separately, after the worker had arrived and finished their own formalities.
What it means for you
For a family candidate the period of forced separation disappears: the move becomes one date. When comparing offers across the Gulf this lowers the logistical and emotional risk, especially with children.
Watch out
The measure covers only highly skilled workers, and the list of professions, the launch date at every consulate and the document list are not published yet. The spouse does not get an automatic right to work. Confirm that concurrent processing is available for your case before buying tickets.
Sources: KPMG GMS Flash Alert: Saudi Arabia, concurrent family visa processing · Saudi Press Agency: official statement
More about the country: Moving to Saudi Arabia
MixedAnnounced 10 October 2026
Cyprus will join Schengen in 2027, not 2026
What changed
The deputy minister for migration gave a new target: full accession to the Schengen area during 2027, after six remaining actions are completed and with the consent of all Schengen states. In May 2025 the president had spoken of 2026.
What it means for you
While Cyprus is outside Schengen, a Cypriot residence permit does not give the seamless short trips across continental Europe that a member state's permit does. Anyone choosing Cyprus as a convenient European travel base should budget at least one more year of transition. After accession, travel for residents gets easier, but for some non-EU visitors days spent in Cyprus will start counting towards the shared 90-in-180 limit.
Watch out
2027 is a target, not a guaranteed date: a unanimous decision of the Schengen states is needed. Transitional rules for residence permits and day counting should be assessed after the official decision.
Sources: IMI Daily: Cyprus now expects to join Schengen in 2027 · Cyprus Mail, 10 October 2026
More about the country: Moving to Cyprus