IMMIGRATION
1. Access to foreign talent 2. Process change 3. Government enforcement routes and compliance.
It analyses country data based on these three key drivers,
culminating in a restrictive practices map – an analysis of how restrictive countries are in terms of eligibility, visas and work permits, minimum salary thresholds and so on. Fiona Murchie, managing editor of RelocateGlobal, reflects
on how to position immigration on the growth agenda. “The Fragomen Worldwide team provided an accessible overview of global immigration and the implications for those working in mobility. This pacey presentation drove home the wider trends occurring in different geographical regions. How individual countries respond to the three distinct themes of nationalist sentiment and more restrictive immigration legislation; a connected world competing for global talent and technological advances in immigration will shape how companies are able to respond to opportunities and growth in new and existing markets,” she says. Fragomen’s Sonya Cole went on to give an overview of the key findings from a regional perspective.
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA The key trends described by Mr Leeb earlier in the presentation rang true in the analysis for Sub-Saharan Africa. Immigration policies are tightening as governments are trying to protect domestic workers already in the country and increase access to the labour market; for example, with training plans and skills transfer from foreign workers to local workers. For process changes, in Nigeria, Zambia and Mozambique,
new systems were implemented and there were delays, which caused missed start dates. However, the governments are not slowing down their shift to online programmes. For government enforcement and employer compliance,
“the oil and gas sector continued to be targeted in 2019”. Kenya developed a new foreign worker identification system “that showed the country’s intent to want to better track foreign workers.”
CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES Canada had a pretty unrestrictive year in terms of welcoming immigrants, “especially with what’s going on welcoming immigrants in the US today” said Ms Cole. “Canada’s federal policies promoted the country as the place to place workers instead of the US.” However, Quebec announced it would seek to reduce immigration levels by 20 per cent. It is trying to promote French speakers and the exams are getting harder to pass. “As far as enforcements, the biggest issue is that the legalisation
of cannabis caused issues at the border,” noted Ms Cole. There is also a continued stream of inspections by the immigration authorities, especially in the restaurant and farming industries. The US had a tumultuous year. There was increased scrutiny on
employment visa applications and more agencies working together to enforce growingly stricter immigration rules.
ASIA As far as access to talent, lots of countries like Japan lowered barriers to entry. Yet Singapore decreased the quota. Fragomen predicts that higher-skilled employers are likely to remain in demand, with more categories for these workers being devised. Overall, a reduced enforcing effort – except for China – was noted in the region.
EUROPE As far as access to talent, quotas have been relaxed in some countries to encourage skilled workers. But others like Italy and Hungary are trying to close their doors.
MIDDLE EAST This region has seen a big jump in access to talent. Lots of the region’s countries now have more liberal policies, which show they want to become a place of innovation. There is also continued interest in bringing in foreign investment and more online systems are streamlining the process. As for enforcement, states of emergency, for example in Egypt, have resulted in increased scrutiny of immigrants.
LATIN AMERICA The region had a busy year with increased foreign investment, particularly in the tech industry, turning cities like Medellin into tech hubs. The region was also experiencing turmoil with the Venezuelan humanitarian crisis. A lot of countries opened their doors to people from
Venezuela by relaxing their visa requirements and requesting fewer documents. As the year went on, as the influx was so great and so fast, a lot of countries started asking for international help. This went into the process changes with online system developments growing in this region for every point of the immigration process. As in Africa, it came with delays, system closures and it didn’t go so smoothly. From a compliance perspective, there are months of ongoing delays in Mexico following the recent elections and government restructuring.
WORLDWIDE IMMIGRATION TRENDS REPORT 2019
Mrs Murchie adds, “This report is well worth reading for all those involved in global mobility, especially if this is not your area of expertise. Business leaders and decision-makers need to understand that there are no short cuts where immigration is concerned and working with a trusted partner who can navigate the local system will pay dividends. Pass this report on to finance directors and project team leaders or compile your own dossier of evidence and information to make sure your organisation’s international growth plans and objectives can be delivered in a manageable time frame.”
Read the Worldwide Immigration Trends Report 2019 at:
www.fragomen.com/WorldwideImmigrationTrendsReport2019
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