Last Updated on February 23, 2023
In the U.S. and beyond, immigration management is changing.
Because of this, it’s important to keep up with the geopolitical climate and trends surrounding what it takes to be globally competitive. So much has changed, and so much is still uncertain, but in our recent webinar, Changing Landscape of Immigration: Management Research Year in Review, we take a numerical approach to the problem and cover the critical issues research has shed new light on.
Challenges employers are facing
The skills gap and geopolitical uncertainty are two of the major challenges facing employers today.
Nearly half of American employers are having trouble filling jobs, according to Manpower Group’s Talent Shortage Survey. And 38 percent of employers are having the same challenge worldwide. In fact, PwC predicts a 2.4 million STEM job gap by 2018 and a gap of 40 million high-skilled workers worldwide by 2020.
Immigration legislation and enforcement this year
This year has been filled with changes to the immigration system in the U.S. (and elsewhere). Most of the changes we’ve seen have largely been underground, carried out through immigration enforcement rather than enacted into law.
Trump’s Hire American, Buy American executive order has set lots of wheels into motion at USCIS to tighten the reins on work-based immigration. An increase in in-person interviews for green card applicants, for example.
Then, there’s the uptick in requests for evidence aimed at H-1B sponsors, heightened attention to site visits and H-1B investigations, changes in premium processing, and changes to USCIS’s approval process for visa petitions. And we can’t forget DACA, the series of travel bans and all the regulatory changes.
The list goes on – keeping employers on their toes.
Compliance
More than 60 percent of employers are at least somewhat concerned about immigration compliance, with nearly half of all employers becoming more concerned just in this past year.
Some of their biggest compliance concerns include maintaining accurate records, H-1B visa-related audits, site visits from immigration authorities and training employees on compliance.
