Clark Hill’s Outbound Immigration & Global Mobility practice guides corporate clients and individuals through complex global immigration challenges worldwide. We pride ourselves on creative, compliant and people-centered solutions – looking at global mobility from a wholistic perspective in an ever-changing immigration environment. Our team assists with short-term assignments, long-term relocations, consular processing, document procurement, document legalizations/apostilles, and business visas in 100+ countries worldwide.
Below is an overview of the major updates from April 2026 in the Americas region.
Canada
Canada Expands Provincial Authority to Assess PNP Nominee Candidates
The Government of Canada has introduced changes enhancing provincial authority in the assessment of candidates under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Provinces will now play a more direct role in evaluating applicant eligibility, with authority to assess factors such as skills, work experience, and alignment with regional labor market needs. In practical terms, nomination requirements and eligibility standards may now differ more substantially between provinces.
While the federal government will continue to retain responsibility for admissibility and final decision-making, this update is intended to provide provinces with greater control over selection and improve responsiveness to local economic priorities.
Considering this development, employers and applicants should anticipate increased variation in provincial assessment processes and criteria and should closely monitor evolving program requirements across jurisdictions.
Venezuela
Venezuela Introduces Electronic Visa for Business and Tourist Travel
The Government of Venezuela has introduced a new electronic visa (eVisa) system for foreign nationals traveling for business and tourism purposes. Under this framework, applicants may obtain the eVisa online, replacing the traditional consular process in certain cases. This change is expected to be most relevant for short-term business travelers who previously relied on consular visa issuance.
The eVisa is valid for one year, permitting multiple entries of short-term stays up to 90 days. Travelers are required to print the eVisa and present it to border officials upon entry to Venezuela.
Processing times are estimated to be 15 days, a significant reduction from the six-week processing time previously associated with the traditional consular process.
This measure reflects efforts to modernize visa processing and streamline entry procedures while maintaining pre-arrival screening procedures.
United States and Venezuela to Resume Air Travel Following Policy Shift
Commercial air travel between the United States and Venezuela is set to resume following the lifting of aviation restrictions imposed in 2019. Retroactively effective April 15, 2026, U.S. authorized carriers can restore service, marking a notable shift in bilateral aviation policy.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has approved initial operations by American Airlines, with routes expected between Miami, Florida, and key cities such as Caracas and Maracaibo, Venezuela.
While this reflects a gradual normalization of travel, employers and travelers should continue to monitor U.S. government advisories and local conditions in Venezuela.
For additional information, please contact the Americas Immigration team at Americas@ClarkHill.com
For further information on any of the updates in this bulletin, reach out to one of the members of our Outbound Immigration & Global Mobility team.
To view April’s updates for the EMEA and APAC regions, click the respective region.
This publication is intended for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or a solicitation to provide legal services. The information in this publication is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, a lawyer-client relationship. Readers should not act upon this information without seeking professional legal counsel. The views and opinions expressed herein represent those of the individual author only and are not necessarily the views of Clark Hill PLC. Although we attempt to ensure that postings on our website are complete, accurate, and up to date, we assume no responsibility for their completeness, accuracy, or timeliness.
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