Policy and Compliance Trends: Navigating Global Mobility in 2026

Global Mobility has always been complex, but the current landscape is more challenging than ever? The ground rules are being rewritten across borders at the same time; immigration thresholds, payroll regimes, tax obligations, social security coverage, even how governments treat AI in decision-making. For HR and mobility leaders, it means the risks are shifting, multiplying, and evolving.

Executives are watching for a different reason. Moves aren’t just about relocating an employee anymore, they’re about enabling business growth in new markets, keeping revenue projects rolling, and keeping compliance risk off the balance sheet. A delayed assignment can block a product launch. A payroll or tax mistake can trigger an audit. And a frustrated transferee who spends six months waiting for reimbursement or struggling with tax uncertainty may walk away altogether.

In 2026, mobility policies can’t just sit in a binder. They need to be living, adaptable frameworks that can adapt to regulatory change without derailing programs. Compliance, too, isn’t just a box to tick. It’s a source of confidence. Confidence for Finance in the numbers, for HR in the employee experience, and for leadership in knowing that global talent moves won’t trigger unexpected costs or headlines.

Here’s what to look out for in 2026, and the practical policy moves that can help you prepare.

1) Europe’s border tech changes business travel rhythm

What’s changing: The EU Entry/Exit System launches in late 2025, capturing biometrics on first entry and requiring more accurate tracking of days in the Schengen Zone. By late 2026, ETIAS adds another pre-travel step for many business travelers.

Policy move: Implement a Business Traveler Pre-Check. Spell out first-entry timing, when ETIAS applies, and who owns the 90/180-day tracking. Put the rules where managers and employees actually see them. In the workflow, not in a PDF that no one opens.

2) Immigration eligibility is a moving target

What’s changing: Updated salary thresholds in the UK and modernization of the U.S. H-1B programs are altering who qualifies, how offers are structured, and how long approvals take.

Policy move: Gate cross-border offers. Build eligibility checks, including salary, role codes and processing timelines, into the front of the process so offers don’t need to be retracted later.

3) Tax design for inbound talent is shifting

What’s changing: The UK replaced its domicile-based regime with a residence-based system in April 2025, including a four-year relief window for qualifying new arrivals. This impacts assignment packages, equalization strategies, and budget forecasts.

Policy move: Refresh tax language in mobility policies. Clarify when to use net-to-net approaches, require pre-arrival tax briefings, and tighten approval steps for shadow payroll.

4) Social security proofs go digital, and checks get faster

What’s changing: Initiatives like the European Social Security Pass are pushing toward digital, verifiable proofs of coverage across borders, making it easier for authorities to spot gaps in compliance.

Policy move: Trigger A1 and posted-worker checks at the request stage, not after flights are booked. Store proofs with assignment records so travelers and managers can access them instantly.

5) AI is now a compliance topic

What’s changing: The EU AI Act becomes fully applicable in August 2026. Any AI tools used in approvals, risk scoring, or document checks will need transparency, logging, and human oversight.

Policy move: Create an AI governance appendix in mobility policy. Document what’s automated, what requires human review, what gets logged, and how employees are informed.

How to get practically ready

Instead of rewriting the entire program, focus on sharp, practical moves:

• Make intake the single source of truth. Every request should go through one form and one set of checks. 
• Tie policy text directly to prompts in the workflow. If policy requires A1 before travel, the system should ask for it at approval. 
• Standardize compensation mechanics. Keep balance sheets, net-to-net, and shadow payroll running from the same dataset. 
• Get expenses in real time. Mobile receipt capture, audit flags, and clean feeds to payroll keep reimbursements fast and accurate. 
• Build a mini-library of traveler communications. Publish templates for first entry into Europe, ETIAS go-live, or A1 proof requests. 
• Run a mock audit. Pick a corridor, trace a few moves end-to-end, and fix whatever breaks the flow. 
• Assign clear ownership. Someone needs the charter to keep policy live, versioned, and aligned with new rules.

The bigger picture for 2026

Mobility leaders who adapt now will put themselves in a stronger position when the wave of changes fully lands. You’ll not only avoid last-minute scrambles and potential penalties, but also unlock something more valuable: visibility and trust. Finance gains a real understanding of cost, HR can deliver a smoother employee journey, and the C-suite sees mobility as a lever for growth, not a source of risk.

Nobody can predict every regulatory twist. But you can build policies and processes that bend without breaking, supported by systems that surface the right information at the right time.

2026 will reward organizations that approach mobility as both a compliance requirement and a business enabler. If you can create clarity for employees, confidence for leadership, and consistency in how every move is managed, you’re already ahead of the curve.

Ready to future-proof your mobility program? Connect with INEO to see how smarter policy, compliance expertise, and technology will keep your workforce moving with confidence.

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