Solomon Islands Introduces New Electronic Visa System and Border Management Reforms

What changed

On 22 October 2026, UK Visas and Immigration expanded its official guidance on how immigration officials must establish and check the identity of people applying to enter or remain in the United Kingdom. As part of this update, the Home Office revised its core UKVI identity standards guidance and issued two new documents: Identity standards: applications for entry clearance, permission to stay and settlement and Identity standards: impostor and age discrepancy cases.

What changed

The New Zealand Government has announced that Border Processing Levy rates for cruise ship passengers will be reduced, coming into effect on 1 July 2027. This change means cruise passengers will see a net reduction of NZ$19.91 per person, which comes from a combination of adjustments to both arrival and departure levies. At the same time, air travellers will face a small overall increase of 32 cents per passenger. These changes aim to ensure that Customs continues to recover its costs for border processing while adapting to expected passenger volumes.

What changed

The UK Home Secretary has announced that, from 15 October 2026, Eritrean VIPs and government officials will no longer have fast-track access to UK visas. This action, along with new travel restrictions for Eritrean diplomats in the UK, is aimed at Eritrea because it is not cooperating with the return of its nationals who are in the UK without permission. The Home Secretary has also threatened a complete ban on visas for all Eritrean citizens if Eritrea does not quickly improve its cooperation on returns.

What changed

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has put forward a proposed rule that would make it a requirement for rail carriers to send electronic advance traveller information for all people, including crew and passengers, who are arriving in or leaving the United States by train. This requirement would also extend to rail carriers having to send advance notices of arrival or departure for the trains themselves. The aim of this proposal is to improve security and to make legitimate international rail travel smoother, addressing a current gap in national security for rail travel. You must send any comments on this proposed rule by 14 December 2026.