Last Updated on October 23, 2024
Immigration technology gives small business owners peace of mind during the often-complicated H-1B cap season.
Small business owners have a lot on their plates.
Not only do they oversee their company’s operations from a bird’s eye perspective, but they also take on many of the day-to-day tasks alongside their employees. One aspect of small business ownership they might not anticipate until it lands in their lap is the process of sponsoring a foreign national employee.
It’s not uncommon for owners to be unsure how to proceed or who to work with on their immigration needs, especially when the hectic H-1B cap season is quickly approaching.
If you’re a small business owner dreading H-1B cap season, luckily, there’s a solution: immigration technology. Here are five ways immigration technology can help you navigate H-1B cap season.
1. Provides Greater Accessibility
Small business owners are used to flexible working conditions, especially in the post-pandemic environment.
Many popular applications and services can be accessed on any device at any time, and immigration technology shouldn’t be any different. Whether via a laptop or a mobile app, an immigration technology platform will allow you and your employees to seamlessly upload important documents, check in on the status of a case, view important files or send messages to an immigration legal counsel.
2. Reduces the Need to Become an Immigration Expert
It’s very likely that most small business owners are not experts on the complexities of the U.S. immigration process – and that’s OK. Immigration technology will help reduce the anxiety and uncertainty of the process by providing you with detailed case updates and further educational opportunities within the platform itself.
Small business owners can submit questions whenever they have one, and their attorney will respond can respond within a reasonable amount of time.
By leaving these components to the immigration technology platform and top-ranked legal teams, you can regain the time that would have been spent researching U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) forms, terminology and deadlines.
3. Pre-Populates Forms
Technology can open the doors to immigration-specific automated tools, like smart questionnaires, that pre-populate data to the platform.
Envoy’s immigration technology platform can even pre-populate forms with information from an employee’s profile. While this may sound like a small time saver, those minutes can really add up if you already act as the human resources, sales, product and marketing departments.
In fact, technology can help you automate up to 90% of the form-filling process.
4. Predicts Immigration Costs
It’s not easy to anticipate unexpected business expenses, and this is especially true for immigration.
Immigration technology can provide a clear cost breakdown – calculated per employee and per visa – as opposed to seeing a blanket monthly invoice that results in confusion and skepticism.
By having this visibility into the costs associated with employee sponsorship, you will be better able to set a predictable budget for their immigration needs. Being able to anticipate your month-to-month immigration-related costs will also give you back valuable time normally spent crunching numbers in a spreadsheet.
5. Communicate with Transparency
When you utilize immigration technology, you and your foreign national employees can communicate directly with the dedicated legal team. Instead of multiple, lengthy email chains, all parties can ask and respond to questions in a cloud-based communication center. This is a welcomed departure from the way traditional law firms operate, especially when it comes to responding to urgent questions from an anxious employee.
Adopting new technology may be unnerving for some small business owners, especially when they’re used to being hands-on with every aspect of their company.
When it comes to immigration, technology can truly make a difference. By adding accessibility, transparency and time and cost savings, you can focus on what matters most: providing a positive experience for your employees.
For more information about how Envoy’s technology is transforming the way small business handle their immigration matters during H-1B cap season and beyond, click here to schedule a demo with our team.
Envoy is pleased to provide you with this information, which was prepared in Corporate Immigration Partners, P.C., a U.S. law firm who provides services through the Envoy Platform (the “U.S. Law Firm”).
Content in this publication is for informational purposes only and not intended as legal advice, nor should it be relied on as such. Envoy is not a law firm, and does not provide legal advice. If you would like guidance on how this information may impact your particular situation and you are a client of the U.S. Law Firm, consult your attorney. If you are not a client of the U.S. Law Firm working with Envoy, consult another qualified professional. This website does not create an attorney-client relationship with the U.S. Law Firm.
