Leveraging Immigration as a Benefit Part 2: Retaining Talent

As discussed in the first installment of the “Leveraging Immigration as a Benefit” blog series, many employers are utilizing their mobility programs to attract, retain and develop the best and brightest talent.

As highlighted in Fragomen’s Worldwide Immigration Trends Report, workforce shortages continue, and employers are looking ahead as the “Great Retention” is underway.

Retaining talent through creative immigration solutions

As part of the Great Retention, many employers are taking a proactive approach to workforce planning and utilizing the existing talent pool to maximize operations. With employees becoming more discerning post-COVID-19, it is important that employers are deliberate about their retention efforts.

Many businesses are looking to their pre-existing talent pool to fill skill shortages and save companies costs associated with additional hiring. It is likely that the ability to retain current talent will be the key to success for employers, mobility and businesses.

In response to the Great Retention and demand for continued flexibility for immigration purposes, many governments have responded to the need for preserving workforces with more flexible extension policies and streamlined citizenship and permanent residence processes.

Examples of retaining talent through flexible and streamlined extension policies  

During the past year, governments continued to focus on easing the mobility experience for both employees and employers by re-evaluating the steps needed to complete the renewal of the work authorization process.

Specifically, there has been an increased focus on leveraging technology to streamline processing times, and the implementation of reduced labor marketing testing to make it easier for employers to retain key talent. Some recent examples include:

• Belgium implemented new legislation that expands the ability for third-country nationals residing in Belgium to apply for an in-country change of status to an employment-based sponsored permit under standard in-country processing.
• Portugal implemented a process where residence cards are automatically extended due to processing backlogs to help avoid disruption to work.

Examples of retaining talent through streamlined citizenship and permanent residence processes 

Many immigration authorities understand that streamlined citizenship and permanent residence processes are strong talent retention strategies.

These immigration processes are valuable to employers and employees alike—allowing employers to offer this key benefit to employees while giving employees the chance to put down strong roots.

Many of these programs also offer employees benefits beyond their professional goals, allowing for dependent sponsorship and a clear pathway to permanent residence.

Examples of streamlined citizenship and permanent residence processes include:

• The United Arab Emirates announced that “creative talent” categories of foreign nationals will be eligible to obtain Emirati citizenship.
• Australia announced an offering of an expanded permanent visa program to those in high-growth industries.

Throughout 2023, more employers are expected to approach citizenship and permanent residence as an investment in their talent for long-term retention purposes.  

Considerations for employers

It is important for employers to consider key questions surrounding leveraging renewals, citizenship and permanent residence for retention purposes, including:

• What is the investment as an employer?
• What is the process?
• Can an employee move once they receive permanent residence?
• Does my company have a permanent residence policy?
• Is there a compliance risk as an employer?

As a first step, connecting with your Immigration Program Manager or legal partner to discuss potential strategies for retaining your critical employee population is recommended.

Need to know more?

Working with experienced immigration professionals can help you navigate these challenging and complex matters, as they can provide valuable guidance and support throughout the process, helping you make informed decisions that support your business goals. Always remaining fully compliant during a reduction in workforce exercise is critical.

Fragomen’s unique Immigration Program Management group supports and delivers strategic solutions for clients. For questions, please contact Senior Associate and Immigration Program Manager Liat Zudkewich at [email protected]. Stay tuned for the third installment in this blog series, which will focus on talent development, to be released in the coming weeks.

This blog was published on October 3, 2023, and due to the circumstances, there are frequent changes. To keep up to date with all the latest updates on global immigration, please subscribe to our alerts and follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram.