Let’s face it. Very few executives and experts think the recent change to U.S. immigration policy limiting visas for talented foreign workers will help strengthen American businesses or the economy.
In fact, it has thrown the HR departments of America’s best companies into a tailspin, as they figure out how to hire the talent they had – until now – planned to bring to the U.S. via the H-1B program. The talent they’re looking for simply doesn’t exist within the U.S., or they wouldn’t have been going to extensive lengths to secure visas for that talent in the first place.
What Does The Immigration Policy Change Mean for Businesses and Their International Candidates?
If companies pull back on sourcing the best international workers due to the temporary halt on this program, the talent and skills gap could set U.S.-based organizations back significantly over time, ultimately doing the opposite of its intended purpose.
The tech industry will undoubtedly feel this hit the hardest, with multiple studies showing there are not enough high-skilled American tech workers to fill the growing demand for positions such as web development and data science. Luckily, American executives are resourceful in how they run their businesses.
For the skilled global professional, this abrupt halt to the H-1B visa program may make them feel that immigration to America is rescindable and temporary – which by nature makes an offer to come to the U.S. to work less attractive.
The old allure of immigrating to America may be less appealing in the harsh light of reality: U.S. immigration policy is ever-changing, as seen over the last few years. Those same candidates might prefer to work from their home countries where they are secure with their families and not subject to the whiplash of immigration policy.
How the Immigration Setback Opens Remote Work Opportunities
This executive order is strategy-altering for the organization that may have depended on a skilled international support workforce to advance the company’s vision and spur on growth. How will you compete at the same level on a global scale, when your talent pool was just significantly downsized?
It may feel like the doors are closing, but we see the doors just beginning to open to a new future of access to the global talent pool. Here’s why:
Is Remote Work Effective?
Recent events have caused companies to embrace remote work as more than just a trend. After at least one business quarter building their digital workplace culture, companies now realize it is less and less important where workers are physically sitting. It is more important that they acquire the best talent – people who will perform and make an impact regardless of location. An added bonus for companies is that they save on workplace costs and decrease employer liability for remote employees. Beyond that, employees are often happier to work from home.
Global Employer of Record Model – Go Where the Talent Is
High-performing companies in competitive markets are always looking for ways to excel against their rivals, and what better way to gain an edge than by stacking a team with the best talent they can find, anywhere they can find it? One of the reasons Globalization Partners’ Employer of Record model exists is because all companies should have the opportunity to hire great talent anywhere they find it – it doesn’t have to begin and end with the visa lottery.
How Does an Employer of Record Work?
It’s not outsourcing, nor is it a temporary fix. The Employer of Record takes on the burden of compliance, global tax and payroll matters for overseas employees. The international candidate works for your organization, receiving a fully compliant, competitive local benefits package. Companies can hire the best talent from around the world, without that employee leaving their home – and without the company having to set up a foreign office or registration.
This keeps your team members on the ground in their own country, where they already have the legal right to live and work. Many employees working remotely from their home country who may be attracted to international companies are already accustomed to working from home. They can start work within a few business days, without waiting for U.S. visa approval.
What We Offer: A Digital Visa
We like to think of the solution we bring to you and your international candidates as a digital visa. We are the conduit for your company to access talent everywhere. With our worldwide entity infrastructure in place, you can onboard a new hire almost anywhere in the world within a matter of hours. Legally, the employee is on our payroll, but the team member is fully dedicated to you.
Of course, it’s incredibly important that our platform’s legal infrastructure is nailed down tightly and in alignment with the best practices designed by our U.S. and international legal teams – it’s vital that the IP of the employees, and all their work, ultimately belongs to you. When you work with an Employer of Record, you’re outsourcing your global legal infrastructure, and quality matters. Rest assured – our model is fully compliant.
For the international team member, they can still work for your U.S.-based company, joining the ranks of your high-performing, competitive organization. Like everyone else, at least for now, they’ll be working from home, but we’ve all seen that it works – and are seeing it more every day.
High performing companies can now break free from dependency on visa status or changing U.S. immigration policies. It’s now possible to hire the world.
Learn more about Globalization Partners Employer of Record solution, or reach out to our team. We’re ready to help.
Globalization Partners enables companies to quickly and easily expand into more than 187 countries without the hassle of setting up local branch offices or subsidiaries. You identify the talent, and we employ your team member via our in-country payroll. This enables you to quickly and easily hire around the globe, and lifts the burden of figuring out HR, tax and legal matters from your shoulders to ours.
Globalization Partners: Succeed Faster