Connecting Employers with Skilled Displaced Individuals
In the race for global talent, savvy employers can gain a competitive edge by integrating displaced individuals into their talent pipeline. Many refugees have valuable skills that can benefit employers, yet this pool of talented individuals often remains overlooked and untapped.
Many countries have launched visa routes that connect employers with skilled refugees. These programs allow businesses to fill gaps in their workforces with talented individuals, while giving refugees a path to a new life.
At Fragomen, we can assist employers who:
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- Are interested in accessing this particular talent pool; or
- Have identified a refugee they would like to hire and need assistance with next steps.
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Fragomen is the leading law firm in this space and is highly experienced with helping businesses hire skilled refugees. If you are interested in scheduling a consultation, please complete this form.
Currently, countries with visa routes for skilled refugees include:
Australia
This an established pilot through which hundreds of people have moved. The Australian model makes use of various visa routes, maximizing accessibility for employers.
Belgium
This pilot is open to all eligible professions and is accessible through Belgium’s Single Permit.
Canada
This is the world’s first established labor mobility pilot, through which nearly a thousand people have moved. The pilot has recently been extended by the Canadian government.
France
This exciting new pathway is currently being designed, with updates to follow soon.
Germany
A formal pilot is being developed, with a test case having been successfully completed. More updates to follow.
Ireland
This is an established pilot open to all eligible skilled professions. To date, IT and healthcare professionals have used this route.
Italy
This is an established pilot open to all eligible skilled professions. A range of IT and skilled trades people have already used this route.
Netherlands
While a formal pilot is not yet in place, Fragomen has had success in moving a skilled displaced candidate to the Netherlands as a test case. We can guide employers in exploring these moves.
Spain
This exciting new pathway is currently being designed, with updates to follow soon.
Slovakia
This exciting new pathway is currently being designed, with updates to follow soon.
United Kingdom
The UK has had a successful three-year pilot, under which hundreds of skilled displaced people have moved to work in various industries. The UK immigration system is currently undergoing redesign for an exciting new visa route dedicated to displaced talent. In the meantime, employers can still hire displaced candidates into the UK.
United States
While there is currently not a formal pilot in place, skilled displaced candidates have previously moved to the U.S. through the Welcome Corps at Work program. To hire skilled displaced talent, employers in the U.S. can explore other immigration options (including non-immigrant visas).
Why Fragomen?
Fragomen is recognized as one of the world’s top corporate immigration services providers. We represent businesses of every size and across industries, giving us wide insight into the corporate immigration landscape.
When it comes to connecting refugees with companies that need their skills, we are the leading law firm worldwide. We are a founding member of the Global Task Force on Refugee Labor Mobility and work closely with Talent Beyond Boundaries (TBB), an organization that helps place skilled refugees with employers around the globe.
Awards
In 2024, Fragomen and TBB were named the Best Partnership Between a Corporate Organization and a Service Provider by the Forum for Expatriate Management, for both the Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) regions.
Fragomen won the same award in the U.S. in 2023 and in EMEA in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Additionally, Fragomen and TBB have received the “Partnership with an International Charity” award at the Better Society Awards.
