Survey: Most think international assignment demand will come back strong

Will all benchmarking and trends reports issued in 2021 that are based on data from 2020 — the year of the coronavirus — have asterisks to show this was a blip and should be taken with a grain of salt? Are you in the midst of reviewing your policies based on data from your program and other mobility programs over this past year?

It is true that many publications that came out this time last year were probably based on data that was not going to remain a trend for those next 12 months given that no one saw the pandemic coming (or at least exactly when it would arrive). While the pandemic shut down or slowed down most employee relocations and assignments, as we emerge, it is worth considering what we saw and are now seeing, then consider what is coming our way in the near future. 

Enter the newly released 2021 Immigration Trends Report from Envoy Global, where there are some really great take-aways to consider. This year, they asked more than 500 HR professionals and hiring managers what they learned following an unprecedented year for hiring, immigration and global travel, as well as the reforms they’d like to see addressed and their expectations for immigration and global mobility in a post-pandemic world. A few key points:

1.) Cross-border relocation and assignments will rebound: The rebuilding process will definitely leverage immigration to get talent where it is needed. As Dick Burke, CEO of Envoy Global, points out in his introduction, "What we discovered is that even amid all the change that occurred, the need for global talent persisted, and immigration will be imperative to employers as we rebuild our economy post-pandemic." As travel restrictions ease and vaccines become more widely available, employers expect the need for global assignments to fully rebound in the next year. When considering outbound (non-U.S.) assignments, 92% anticipate demand to at least return to pre-pandemic levels and 68% of those respondents think it will actually increase beyond pre-pandemic levels. 

2.) More U.S. inbound visas are needed: While people have different ideas on how to fix many of the U.S. immigration system ailments, there is agreement that there is a need for more visas! Lack of visa availability and increased costs were the two biggest challenges in 2020. Also on the wish list are faster processing times and greater consistency.

3.) Remote work may not lead to sponsoring fewer foreign nationals: Only 28% of employers surveyed indicated that remote work will lead to sponsoring fewer foreign nationals. In fact, 96% felt that foreign nationals are an important element of their talent management strategies.

4.) Lastly, the willingness to sponsor green cards rose dramatically from 2020 as 46% are now sponsoring employees for green cards, up from 24% last year.

The reality is that despite concerns that remote work would negatively impact global mobility activity, most companies see foreign national talent as essential to growth and anticipate a robust rebound.