Envoy's 8th annual Immigration Trends Report is out now! Based on a survey of over 500 human resources (HR) professionals, our 2023 Immigration Trends Report provides vital insights into the U.S. immigration system and global immigration trends.
This year, we asked HR professionals in many industries questions about hiring foreign talent, economic impacts, government inefficiencies and more. Our survey polled employers in many sectors, including construction, health care, retail, food services, finance and manufacturing. The respondents in the survey are all U.S. residents aged 21 or older and work in HR full-time. They are all directly involved in immigration or global mobility at their company.
Companies Are Still Hiring Foreign National Talent
Despite macroeconomic pressures, 89% of companies hired one or more foreign national employees who another company previously laid off in the previous six months. Generally, employers continue to recruit foreign talent, as 87% of employers are currently recruiting and hiring foreign talent in the U.S.
In fact, 71% recruited more foreign talent in Q1 2023 than at the same time last year.
Following a record number of H-1B registrations in 2022 (483,000), employers expect to submit even more H-1B cap registrations in 2023. More so, they intend to submit more H-1B registrations in the future, even if registration fees increase from $10 to $215.
Ultimately, this year's Immigration Trends Report shows that employers are still reliant on foreign talent, and they do not intend to slow down recruitment or hiring.
Instead, they're planning to hire more foreign talent in 2023 than in the past few years, but they are also still facing some challenging immigration barriers and policies that are slowing their potential hiring.
Government Grievances
Employer sentiment is generally favorable toward the Biden administration, as evidenced by the fact that 84% of survey respondents support the administration's handling of employment-based immigration.
However, 51% say that the U.S. immigration process is more challenging than in the past. The limited number of H-1B visas is the primary immigration barrier (47%). Other barriers include government processing delays and paper-based systems.
The limited number of H-1B visas is a top immigration barrier for U.S.-based employers.
Overall, employers would like to see more pro-immigration policies in the U.S. that would help bring more talent into the U.S. They look primarily to the president and federal agencies to enact most immigration-related changes to make improvements.
The business community supports key improvements to the employment-based immigration system. Interestingly, some employers indicate cost wouldn't be a concern. For example, 89% of companies would pay an additional fee for expanded premium processing.
Following the layoffs and hiring freezes of the previous 12 months, Envoy Global's survey findings indicate signs of a rebound in the recruiting, hiring and sponsoring of foreign talent. In 2023, U.S. employers will continue to assess and adjust their strategies to access talent globally.
While there are challenges to hiring foreign talent in 2023, an immigration services provider such as Envoy can make the process simpler and smoother with secure technology, experienced immigration attorneys, a global team and more.
Download our 2023 Immigration Trends Report to dive into all the latest insights on employment-based immigration.
Read the 2023 Immigration Trends Report
Originally published 7 March, 2023
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