Employers Focus On Streamlining And Accelerating The Immigration Process For Sponsored Talent

Companies say challenges with the current immigration process are slowing down projects and heightening anxieties

U.S. employers are looking for ways to simplify and expedite the immigration process for their sponsored talent, Envoy's 2019 Immigration Trends Report found. Human Resources managers and foreign nationals alike are facing heightened uncertainty in today's immigration climate. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reported an RFE rate of 38% for H-1B visa petitions in FY 2018, up from just 21% in FY 2017. USCIS data also shows that the approval rate for H-1B petitions dropped 8% in FY 2018. Furthermore, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) found that average USCIS case processing times for all visa types have increased by 91% since FY 2014. Without timely approvals, employees are left with less confidence over their work status, and business projects threaten to stagnate. According to the Korn Ferry 2019 Future of Work report,