Immigration has become a hot topic in the news within the past year and has impacted employers. From recruiting to retention, U.S. employers use different visas to hire and maintain the top talent from around the world. Employers need to ensure compliance with visa work authorizations and I-9 documents and uses legal and human resources to maintain compliance. If you are a recent graduate or starting your HR career, have you ever considered a career in immigration?
In a more connected world, most companies are global. Companies have locations across the world and often send expats or have intra-company transfers to the multiple locations to close a deal or market their products to different companies. The push for diversity and inclusion in hiring practices also has recruiters and HR professionals looking at candidates who may require or be on a work visas. Also, candidates from other countries have some of the top skills and talent.
In this environment a career in immigration can be a fulfilling and growing field for HR professionals. In recently attending the 2018 CFGI Immigration Symposium, I found that most professionals in immigrations started like me with on the job training and learning. From technical companies to energy services to non-profit and education, all these companies and industries need immigration specialist and coordinators to learn the immigration field and navigate the ever-changing environment for visas and work permits.
Interested? You’ll get to liaison between employees, managers, attorneys, and HR Business Partners. You’ll become their go to subject-matter expert in all things immigration and work visas. You’ll learn how what different visas are available and brainstorm other alternatives if a work visa extension is not possible in the US. You’ll get to work with attorneys, whether within the organization or outside the company, and interpret their options for specific employees or candidates with the business. You’ll also experience the emotional side of immigration as well. You will get to see the joy and relief when an employee who has been waiting to receive their green card, finally receives the adjustment of status approval and receives the green card.
If you are interested in learning more about international business, immigration, and global mobility, a role as an immigration specialist, coordinator, or generalist may be the job for you. You’ll develop coordination, collaboration, and strategy skills as you work with the attorneys, employees, and business to gain and retain your workforce that have work visas. You’ll also enter a niche field and have a strong skill set that employers need to understand visa options and their workforce on visas. A career in immigration will be fulfilling and is a critical skill-set that employers and companies need more than ever in this changing environment.