Envoy Global’s Immigration Trends Report Reveals High Demand for Foreign Talent Amid the Great Resignation

As demand for foreign talent continues to grow, new data shows a high approval rating (70%) for the current administration’s handling of employment-based immigration, but reveals dissatisfaction with USCIS.

Envoy Global, the technology leader that combines access to top legal talent with industry leading technology to bring efficiency and transparency to the global immigration process, today announced the findings from its Sixth Annual Immigration Trends Report.

The report surveyed over 300 human resources (HR) professionals across the U.S to establish the broader need for foreign talent, the regulatory obstacles that stand in the way, and how employers are handling the constricting access to foreign talent along with other pressing challenges.

“Our report found that demand for foreign talent is at an all-time high in the wake of a severe labor shortage and record quit rates among employees as organizations battle the Great Resignation. Yet, the flow of accessible foreign talent to the U.S. remains obstructed by enduring regulatory barriers imposed by the federal government,” said Richard Burke, CEO Envoy Global. “With the yearly allotment of H-1B visas capped, nearly 400,000 foreign nationals will be unable to secure visas to work for companies in need of specialized skills. We released this year’s report with the hopes that it will allow HR managers, talent acquisition teams, CHROs and CEOs alike to benchmark and strengthen their immigration and mobility strategies.”

Some of the top findings and trends from the report include:

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Amid the U.S labor shortage, demand for foreign talent continues to increase but access remains low.

• • – The report indicates that hiring foreign talent is crucial for employers’ overall talent acquisition strategies. Fifty-five percent of respondents said sourcing foreign talent is very important (36%) or extremely important (19%) to meeting goals for recruitment. Additionally, a substantial majority of respondents (73%) listed U.S-based universities as a primary (37%) or secondary (36%) recruiting source for foreign talent. 40% of respondents expect to become even more reliant on universities and exchange programs through F-1 and J-1 visas in the next year.

• – Despite the clear need for foreign talent, the supply coming to the U.S. continues to trend downwards as the issuance of student F-1 visas gradually decreases. According to the U.S State Department, about 644,000 foreign students were issued F-1 visas in 2015, but only about 358,000 visas were issued in 2021. Because foreign graduates with F-1 stats are eligible for up to one to three years of employment eligibility through OPT and STEM OPT programs, this decrease – combined with a deceleration of overall U.S. immigration – presents a lot of concerns for employers already stifled by the H-1B visa caps and excessive backlog for employment-based green cards.

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There’s greater approval of the current administration’s handling of employment-based immigration, but dissatisfaction with current processes.

• • – U.S employers are largely in support of the Biden administration’s handling of employment-based immigration; 70% of respondents stating approval and just 23% stating disapproval. While the general administrative approval is high, employers remain dissatisfied with the federal agencies in charge of employment-based immigration. Ninety five percent of respondents indicated that quicker processing from USCIS is important, with 80% selecting very or extremely important. Ninety-four percent of respondents want more transparency during the application and approval process; 75% selecting very or extremely important. And 94% of respondents said that further digitization of the immigration process is important; 75% saying it’s very or extremely important.

• – Year-over-year, respondents indicate a strong preference for the H-1B electronic registration system compared to the prior method of submission. Seventy-seven percent of respondents said they prefer the new electronic system. Moreover, 40% said the electronic registration system made the H-1B cap process simpler and 25% said it saved the company money.

Employers are looking outward to mitigate foreign talent recruitment and retention.

• – Frustration with the inefficiency and unreliability of the U.S immigration system has been increasing and employers are looking outward to bypass regulatory barriers by relocating foreign talent to more immigration-friendly destinations abroad such as Canada, Mexico, and the U.K. Seventy-one percent of HR professionals surveyed said they pursued at least one, if not multiple, strategies to retain employees who have been unable to secure work authorizations by moving them to other countries. Sixty-one percent of respondents said they view Canada’s immigration policy to be more favorable than the U.S, citing shorter processing times and ease of application process most frequently.

To access the full report, please click here. For more information on Envoy Global

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