Last Updated on March 2, 2023
From unfiled immigration paperwork to missing the H-1B cap, we’re recounting some of the scariest immigration horror stories just in time for Halloween. Mistakes during the immigration process can happen to anyone, but these oversights can not only be costly for your company, they can directly impact people’s lives.
Over the next seven days, we’re bringing you true HR horror stories of immigration management gone wrong – from HR managers who have seen some of the worst mistakes in the industry.
Missing the H-1B Cap
Amy is a senior manager of HR operations for a software company. She’s typically on top of her game, following the latest immigration policy updates and ensuring that her company stays compliant. She even recently played the hero by catching a policy update related to taxes associated with her company’s international workforce.
The many hats she wears, however, suddenly toppled when she realized her company forgot to submit an H-1B case for one employee before the lottery closed.
Missing the H-1B Cap meant the employee lost his work authorization. To stay in the United States, the employee had to enroll in graduate school. In an attempt to make good on the error, Amy’s company agreed to pay for some of the school costs, but wasn’t able to cover them all.
The employee felt unvalued and neglected; Amy felt embarrassed and ashamed. The oversight came at an emotional and financial cost to all parties involved.
What’s the solution?
In a time when traditional methods don’t cut it, a technology like Envoy that alerts HR teams of important immigration-related deadlines make worries like missing the H-1B cap a thing of the past.
It also provides the ability to communicate with employees and attorneys, maintain important documents and track the status of foreign nationals’ visas in one centralized place.
