Envoy Global: US companies want immigration more than ever

As vaccine mandates are rolled out, many are hoping for a return to normality. However, the pandemic has brought to light a myriad of issues and one of them is bringing international talent into a business.

HR and immigration process company Envoy Global looked into the challenges companies are facing when it comes to hiring international talent. To do this, the company spoke to more than 500 HR professionals and hiring managers across the US.

Somewhat surprisingly, the study found that in 2021 there are more plans to hire immigrants than there were in 2020.

Immigration statistics

The study discovered that 82% of the HR professionals it spoke to expected foreign national headcount to at least remain the same over the next year, and 59% anticipated it to explicitly increase. This was a slight improvement on the previous year that saw 53% of HR workers expecting an increase in foreign national hires.

Additionally, green card sponsorships have reached a record level; there was a 71% increase when compared to 2020. This statistic will undoubtedly ease fears that remote working will lead to fewer opportunities for the immigration of foreign hires.

92% of respondents expect demand for workers outside of the US to increase in the coming year, and as travel restrictions ease, this may become viable. However, vaccines and the ability to travel need to be ensured to enable these plans to become concrete, particularly as companies in the US begin rolling out vaccine mandates in an effort to return to offices.

Despite the projected growth of immigration, there remain challenges for employers. Most notably, employers have shared their frustrations at the limited number of visas available for workers. The lack of visa availability was cited as an issue by 54% of respondents, while 53% were concerned about increased visa costs.

Fortunately, for those looking to hire internationally, there are solutions for hiring remotely and ensuring they are getting the best global talent. The aptly named Remote enables employees with tools to manage onboarding, payroll, benefits so they can hire people from anywhere across the world. This is a growing area of interest as Deel and Boundless have similar offerings and have secured substantial funding over the past year.

The immigration study noted: “Organizations invested more time and resources in navigating the challenging conditions created by COVID-19 pandemic, and sought tools and partners to help streamline the increasingly complex process of securing work authorization for foreign nationals.”

There is undoubtedly a desire to hire people from across the globe and importing talent may help companies amid the ‘Great Resignation’. Currently, there is a growing number of employees who have left their jobs because of a lack of benefits or work/life balance.

The study concluded: “As the economy recovers and business activity speeds up through 2021, immigration will play an even more important role in ensuring companies can manage their workforce needs.

“With a new administration in office, there are also new opportunities for long-due reforms to the US immigration system that would benefit employers and foster innovation in a post-pandemic world.”