Immigration Perks for Employees: How Competitive Are You?

Last Updated on February 23, 2023

We recently asked hundreds of HR professionals and hiring managers what they’re doing to stay competitive in the eyes of today’s in-demand foreign national talent. We learned that providing immigration perks for employees is one of the growing areas of investment immigration managers are pushing for across the board.

What are the top immigration perks for employees?

What are the top immigration perks for employees?

In our Immigration Trends 2018 Report, we uncovered that 41 percent of employers offer relocation expenses as a perk for their foreign national employees, and 39 percent told us they cover housing costs. Employers are also covering travel, transportation and other perks.

Among the 30 percent of employers that cover travel expenses, 72 percent include free airfare for their foreign national employees to visit their home countries, and 59 percent offer airfare for the employees’ immediate family members.

Among the 30 percent of employers that cover transportation perks for foreign nationals, 57 percent pay for rental cars, 52 percent pay for company cars and 45 percent pay for a car for an employee’s spouse and/or family.

Why are immigration perks for employees so popular?

Why are immigration perks for employees so popular?

Eighty-eight percent of employers told us they are addressing the competitive nature of talent acquisition with immigration-related perks. The competition is fierce among talent who possess high-level skills in technology and other fields, and that skills gap is growing. Even employers who look for talent internationally face this skills gap, making it tougher for a company to come out on top.

Because demand is high among employers, they’re pulling out all the stops to look attractive to prospective employees. Including immigration-related perks in a job offer, and referencing such perks during the recruiting process is becoming more and more critical.

Companies in the U.S. are also looking for ways to keep valuable international talent as employers around them develop faster, more appealing perks and offers. These perks boost foreign employees’ feeling that they are valued by the company, hopefully enhancing loyalty and retention rates as a result.

Tips to build perks like these into your HR budget

Tips to build perks like these into your HR budget

If you’re interested in being more competitive with your immigration perks for employees, here are some ways you get started (and you can find even more tips on building an immigration policy here):

  • Compare yourself to your peers: The numbers above show a general interest in providing the most attractive options to foreign national employees, but they could differ in your industry or geography. Take a look at what others are offering before you settle on your own perks.
  • Crunch the numbers to convince leadership: Use data from your own talent management program and break down the cost-benefit analysis for leadership to get the buy-in you need. There often is a business case to be presented, but it’s your job to uncover it.
  • Build an immigration policy: If your organization is prepared to invest in valuable foreign talent, create an immigration policy that you can use to attract that talent while you’re recruiting and onboarding. A solid, formalized immigration policy that includes green card sponsorship, transportation costs, relocation expenses (or whatever works for your organization) will likely help your acquisition and retention rates improve.

Want to learn more? Watch our recent Immigration Trends 2018: A Look at This Year’s Data webinar and download the complete 2018 Immigration Trends Report.