Last Updated on February 23, 2023
Immigration changes and questions over the past year have woken up corporate leaders to their employees’ needs. Employee experience in corporate immigration is a top concern amidst confusing, unexpected and shifting attitudes toward immigration from government authorities.
In our recently released 2018 Immigration Trends Report, we learned that HR professionals and hiring managers are concerned about foreign national anxiety and its impact. Forty-two percent told us the biggest internal immigration-related change they’ve seen over the past year is an increase of anxious questions from their employees.
Visas and regulations in question
In 2018, foreign nationals applying for employment-based visas and those already here are feeling the shifting tides in immigration regulations and possible policy changes.
Among the shifts, the H-1B visa, its terms and permissions might be changing, H-4 spousal work authorizations could be eliminated and the TN visa as we know it could be in jeopardy depending on the outcome of ongoing NAFTA negotiations. Not to mention, questions remain over DACA, Trump’s travel ban and tighter immigration practices in the U.S. in general.
What do employees want?
Sixty-two percent of employers have received more requests from their foreign national employees in the past year than before. Employees are requesting more technology and easier access to their own immigration data, presumably to help ease some of the growing anxiety surrounding employment-based visas.
Companies are listening to their employees
Their requests are being heard. Because of the uptick in interest for anxiety-reducing insights, employers have responded with closer attention to the employee experience. When choosing an immigration partner, more than half of the employers surveyed rated employee experience as their number one deciding factor.
Technology changes employee experience in corporate immigration
Employees want better technology with more clarity and access to their status and data. Employers looking to ease employee’s minds should consider the benefits of cloud-based technology.
An online immigration management platform can give employees visibility into the status of their petitions and immigration status. It can also give them the ability to upload necessary documentation right from their phone. It can even help you get their questions answered by your attorneys in a matter of hours, in plain-language that’s easy to understand.
