Managing an Immigration and Mobility Program 101

Last Updated on February 23, 2023

Immigration and mobility programs play a growing role for organizations hiring foreign talent to fill key positions in the U.S. and abroad. In some organizations, immigration and mobility are a function of the HR or legal team. For others, there is a dedicated immigration or mobility team tasked with the numerous responsibilities associated with managing and retaining foreign talent in the U.S. and globally.

The HR Strategies Series offers functional practice pointers for HR and mobility teams to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of their organization’s immigration and mobility program. The strategies laid out in this series provide tools and insights on specific functions filled by HR and mobility teams. These practice pointers are also pliable to fit the needs of any organization regardless of size, industry or corporate structure.

The HR Strategies Series covers four main components of the immigration and mobility function:

I. Immigration Case Management

HR and mobility teams are tasked with overseeing a variety of employment-based immigration cases for the foreign national population at their organization. The elements involved in managing and overseeing immigration cases are as numerous and diverse as the many different types of U.S. and non-U.S. immigration cases.

Teams will want to implement strategies to help oversee immigration case management. Doing so will help avoid delays and roadblocks that might impact a foreign national’s employment status. HR and mobility teams will also need to manage many compliance and regulatory requirements.

II. Immigration and Mobility People Management

HR and mobility teams spearhead the immigration function, but they also manage other stakeholders within the organization responsible for key tasks related to immigration cases, mobility matters, compliance and more.

Staffing and delegating responsibilities are both essential components for the function. Effectively incorporating key internal stakeholders, such as hiring managers, recruiters, finance teams, corporate leadership and more helps to create a more efficient and successful immigration and mobility program.

III. Immigration Data Analytics

In a data-driven world, leveraging immigration technology and HR information systems is a key strategy for managing the immigration and mobility function.

Analytics help HR and mobility teams track immigration case progress, manage mobility perks and offerings, forecast budgets and more. Gathering and analyzing this data allows HR and mobility teams to benchmark and improve their organization’s processes and practices.

IV. Decision-Making for Immigration and Mobility Programs

Daily, HR and mobility teams make important decisions that impact the success and growth of their organization.

Administering action plans for making key decisions on immigration and mobility matters helps keep the program on track. To achieve this goal, HR and mobility teams can institute strategies, such as decision trees, to efficiently make important immigration- and mobility-related decisions.

Whether you are new to immigration and mobility, or you simply want to improve this function at your own organization, the HR Strategies Series provides valuable insights and tools for HR and mobility teams.

In addition to the current blogs in the series, stay tuned for further insights and tools on these topics.


Envoy is pleased to provide you this information, which was prepared in collaboration with Waleed Salaheldin, who is a Supervising Attorney at Corporate Immigration Partners, and Amrita Jolly-Sodhi, who is a Managing Attorney at Global Immigration Associates. Corporate Immigration Partners and Global Immigration Associates are the two independent U.S. law firms Envoy exclusively works with on the Envoy Platform (the "U.S. Law Firms"). 

Content in this publication is for informational purposes only and not intended as legal advice, nor should it be relied on as such. For additional information on the issues discussed, consult an attorney at one of the two U.S. Law Firms working with the Envoy Platform or another qualified professional. On non-U.S. immigration issues, consult an Envoy global immigration service provider or another qualified representative.