Immigration news update for the AMER region
Americas
Canada: Temporary visa policy for FIFA 2026 delegates
Canada, in partnership with Mexico and the United States, will co‑host the FIFA 2026 Men’s World Cup, staging 13 matches between June 11 and July 19, 2026.
Delegated officers may grant exemptions to eligible foreign nationals applying for a temporary resident visa between November 25, 2025 and July 20, 2026, if they meet one of the following sets of conditions:
1.FIFA‑Invited Applicants
The applicant must:
- Hold a FIFA Letter of Invitation, and
- Have no adverse information that may lead to inadmissibility under sections 34, 35, 35.1, 36(1), 37, or applicable family‑related inadmissibility under section 42 of the Act.
2.Diplomats and Government Officials
The applicant must:
- Hold a diplomatic or official passport,
- Hold a FIFA Letter of Invitation, and
- Have no adverse information leading to possible inadmissibility under the same statutory sections.
Eligible applicants may be exempted from:
- Paragraph 12.1(d) of the Regulations — the requirement to provide biometrics for a temporary resident visa application.
This temporary public policy:
- Begins: November 25, 2025
- Applies to: New and pending applications as of that date
- Expires: July 20, 2026
- May be revoked at any time without prior notice
This summary was prepared using information provided from the Government of Canada
United States: USCIS closes first fiscal year 2026 H 2B supplemental visa
USCIS has reached the limit for the additional 18,490 H‑2B visas reserved for returning workers in the first FY 2026 supplemental allocation for jobs starting January 1– March 31, 2026. The final date USCIS accepted petitions for this allocation was February 6, 2026.
Because the number of petitions exceeded the available visas, USCIS ran a computer‑generated random selection on February 13, covering all petitions filed during the first five business days (February 2–6). Only selected petitions could proceed, and premium processing began after the lottery.
USCIS advises employers and stakeholders to review the FY 2026 H‑2B supplemental visas page for ongoing updates and details about remaining allocations for the fiscal year.
This summary was prepared using information provided from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Disclaimer: The above information is provided for general information purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. If you have any further inquiries regarding the applicability of this information, please contact Joanna Sogeke (European Client Services Manager – Immigration).
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