In this update, we look at the latest changes to residence and work permits across Europe — from quota adjustments and salary thresholds to new obligations for employers managing internationally mobile professionals. These reforms span a wide range of measures: Ireland is consulting on its employment permits lists, Italy has outlined migration flows through 2028, and Belgium has introduced a new shortage occupations list for the Brussels Region. The Czech Republic has reshaped embassy quotas, while Finland has imposed new notification duties on employers. France has revised salary requirements for key immigration categories, and the United Kingdom has tightened its Skilled Worker route by raising thresholds and narrowing eligibility.

Together, these developments illustrate how European countries are recalibrating immigration frameworks to address labour market demand, demographic pressures and political priorities.

Belgium

From 1 October 2025, third-country nationals seeking employment in the Brussels-Capital Region will benefit from an updated list of shortage occupations. Roles included on the list no longer require a labour market test. Published on 1 July 2025, the list identifies 82 professions where local demand cannot be met, providing businesses with streamlined access to international talent.

Meanwhile, the Flemish Government has tightened chain-liability rules relating to the employment of third-country nationals. First introduced in 2024, the rules place a duty of care on contractors to collect specific information and documentation from subcontractors employing or engaging workers from outside the EU. Initially due to take effect in January 2025, implementation has been postponed to January 2026 to give businesses more time to prepare.

A decree issued on 27 June 2025 has narrowed the scope of the rules by applying them only to high-risk sectors, though these sectors have not yet been specified. At the same time, the decree broadened the framework so that principals as well as contractors fall under chain-liability obligations. The updated measures will come into force by 1 January 2026 at the latest.

Czech Republic

From 1 July 2025, changes to immigration quotas took effect, altering the maximum annual number of applications that can be submitted at Czech embassies for long-stay business visas, long-term residence permits for investment purposes, and employee cards. The adjustments vary across different embassies.

The Czech embassy in Delhi has been granted an increased quota for the Digital Nomad Programme. New quotas for employee cards have also been introduced for Chinese nationals, handled by the embassies in Beijing and Shanghai, while quotas at the embassy in Bangkok have risen.

Quotas for employee card applications have additionally been introduced at the embassies in Tokyo and Taipei, though these apply not to Japanese or Taiwanese citizens, but to foreign nationals who have resided in those countries for at least two consecutive years.

By contrast, the so-called residual quota has effectively been cancelled at five embassies in Africa: Addis Ababa, Cairo, Lusaka, Pretoria and Rabat. The changes reflect a rebalancing of the Czech immigration system, with mixed consequences for employers and applicants.

Finland

On 11 June 2025, an amendment to the Aliens Act came into force, creating new obligations for employers. Where a third-country national employed under a work-based residence permit leaves employment before the permit expiry date, the employer must notify the Finnish Immigration Service within 14 days. Notifications should be made through the Enter Finland online system, though paper forms remain available if needed.

Compliance is monitored by the occupational safety and health authority. Employers who fail to notify, or ignore requests for information, may face fines, and in more serious cases a temporary suspension of their right to secure new work-based permits.

The same amendment introduced the “three- or six-month unemployment rule”. In general, if employment ends prematurely, the permit holder has three months to find new employment before their permit may be cancelled. Certain categories of worker, however, benefit from a six-month job-seeking period. These include EU Blue Card holders, individuals in middle or senior management, intra-group transferees, and foreign nationals who have lived in Finland for more than two years under a work-based permit.

In addition, holders of a residence permit for an employed person may use their permit to take up a new role within the same sector or switch into another sector recognised nationally as a shortage occupation.

France

France has completed transposition of the EU Blue Card Directive, making it easier for highly qualified foreign nationals to obtain a multi-year residence permit of up to four years, renewable, without prior work authorisation. The eligibility rules have been updated: employees must now hold an employment contract of at least six months with a French company, compared with the previous one-year requirement. Applicants must also have at least a Bachelor’s degree or five years of relevant professional experience. For certain roles, three years of experience gained within the last seven years will be sufficient, though the final list of such activities is still awaited.

The new rules also give authorities stronger powers to refuse applications. A Blue Card can now be denied if the employer is primarily set up to facilitate the entry of foreign nationals, is in breach of labour, tax or social security law, or has been convicted of illegal employment. At the same time, intra-EU mobility has been eased: holders of a Blue Card issued by another EU Member State may relocate to France after one year, instead of the previous 18 months, and may submit their residence permit application after arrival.

In addition, a decree of 13 June 2025 has revised salary requirements for two categories of business immigration permits: Qualified Employee and Employee on Assignment. Salaries for these permits must now be benchmarked against a gross reference salary. While a 2016 ministerial order set this benchmark at EUR 35,891, the government has not yet confirmed whether this figure remains applicable or if a higher threshold will soon be introduced. Until clarification is issued, employers and applicants are expected to treat EUR 35,891 as the safe minimum to avoid refusals and should budget accordingly when preparing contracts. A further decree is anticipated.

Language and integration requirements have also been strengthened. Under the Immigration Act of January 2024, applicants for multi-year residence permits must now demonstrate French proficiency at A2 level on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, while permanent residence requires B1. For naturalisation, the minimum has been raised from B1 to B2. A decree of 15 July 2025 has clarified that applicants must also complete civic training and pass a formal multiple-choice exam covering French values, history, institutions, rights and duties, geography and culture, with a minimum pass rate of 80 per cent. A public officer interview has replaced the previous assimilation interview, creating a more structured process.

Together, these measures underline France’s intention to attract highly skilled professionals while ensuring integration into the labour market and wider society. For employers, the immediate priorities are to align salaries with at least the 2016 benchmark until further guidance is issued, to review contract terms carefully, and to prepare applicants for the stricter language and civic obligations that now form part of long-term residence planning.

Ireland

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment has opened a public consultation to review the occupations lists that determine access to Ireland’s employment-permit system. The framework operates through two lists: the Ineligible Occupations List, which covers roles with sufficient domestic or EEA supply where permits are not issued, and the Critical Skills Occupations List, which identifies shortage roles eligible for a critical skills employment permit.

The last review in 2023 added 11 roles to the Critical Skills list and removed 32 roles from the Ineligible list, making them eligible for general employment permits. The current consultation invites submissions from employers and stakeholders to propose reclassifications, whether by moving roles to general-permit eligibility or adding them to the Critical Skills list. The consultation was closed on 19 September 2025.

Italy

A recent law has created a new visa pathway for descendants of Italian citizens. Eligible applicants may obtain a national D visa and residence permit to work in Italy without being subject to the annual quotas of the Flow Decree. Applicants must have a job offer from an Italian employer, reside outside Italy, and prove descent from an Italian citizen. The specific documents required to demonstrate descent are yet to be confirmed. Eligibility will also be limited to nationals of countries with a history of significant migration flows to Italy, to be defined by inter-ministerial decree.

On 30 June 2025, the Italian Council of Ministers granted preliminary approval to the Migration Flow Decree for 2026–2028. This measure governs regular entry of non-EU workers with the aim of supporting the labour market and combating irregular migration. For 2026, 164,850 entries are foreseen, while over the three-year period a total of 497,550 authorisations are planned. These include 230,550 for non-seasonal and self-employed work, and 267,000 for seasonal roles in agriculture and tourism. The government also intends to promote out-of-quota entries and to gradually replace the current “click day” system with a model focused on priority roles and enhanced training in countries of origin.

Separately, a referendum on naturalisation held on 8–9 June 2025 failed to reach the required 50 per cent quorum, with only 30 per cent turnout. The proposal would have reduced the residence requirement for citizenship from ten years to five. Citizenship by descent has meanwhile been tightened, requiring a direct link to an immediate ancestor such as a parent or grandparent, stricter evidence of lineage, and additional requirements such as effective residence or demonstrable ties to Italy. For naturalisation, the ten-year residence requirement continues to apply, together with conditions on language skills, income, a clean criminal record and tax compliance.

United Kingdom

From 22 July 2025, significant restrictions apply to the Skilled Worker route, following the government’s immigration White Paper published in May. Certificates of Sponsorship issued after this date are subject to stricter rules. Only roles at RQF Level 6, equivalent to graduate level or higher, are now eligible for sponsorship. Medium-skilled roles at RQF Levels 3 to 5 remain eligible only if they appear on the Immigration Salary List or the new Temporary Shortage List.

Family applications have also been affected. Main applicants sponsored under either the Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage List categories are no longer entitled to bring dependants, except in limited circumstances. Care workers and senior carers may only apply from within the UK, subject to transitional arrangements.

Salary thresholds under the Skilled Worker route have been increased to reflect updated labour-market data. At the same time, 111 occupations have been removed from eligibility altogether. These measures are part of the government’s broader strategy to reduce net migration by narrowing access to the scheme and prioritising higher-skilled roles.

Balancing Opportunity and Compliance

The current wave of immigration reforms across Europe highlights a common challenge: balancing the demand for skilled workers with the political and regulatory pressures to control migration. Belgium and Ireland are opening pathways to address shortages, while the Czech Republic, Finland and France are tightening procedures and obligations. Italy is preparing for future migration flows on a large scale, and the United Kingdom is restricting access to its Skilled Worker route with higher thresholds and stricter eligibility.

For employers and internationally mobile professionals, these reforms offer opportunities but come with heightened compliance requirements. New visas, revised quotas and shortage occupation lists create access to talent, but they are accompanied by tougher salary benchmarks, reporting duties and integration standards. The trend is towards systems that reward genuine need and demonstrable economic contribution, while closing off routes perceived as open to misuse.

In this environment, organisations must identify opportunities while strengthening compliance frameworks to navigate evolving national rules. Success will depend on achieving the right balance: securing the talent required for growth while meeting the increasingly demanding standards of accountability set by regulators.

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