PIHRA Scope - Summer 2008 - (Page 9)

ing all options for hiring foreign nationals and avoiding unnecessary visa processing issues. A number of visa options are available depending on the situation and company, and many of these visas are processed faster than H-1Bs and are not limited by the cap. By exploring the alternatives now, companies can decide on the most suitable method for their hiring situations and be positioned to bring on new additions to their workforce smoothly and seamlessly. H-1B ALTERNATIVES • TN Category Visa: Based on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), this visa is available to Canadian and Mexican citizens coming to the U.S. to perform professional activities. The TN visa has a one-year term, but can be renewed indeﬁnitely. There is no cap on the number of TN visas allotted. • L Category Visa: Similar to the H-1B, the L-1 visa allows companies to hire foreign employees on a temporary basis with the ability to provide permanent residency. The L-1 visa is available if a company is afﬁliated with a foreign operation, in which a foreign national is coming to the U.S. for a managerial or executive level position. To be eligible, employees must have worked for the foreign company for at least one of the last three years. • O Category Visa: Visas in this category are used for business and science professionals that exhibit extraordinary ability in their ﬁelds. The initial visa is valid for up to three years and can be renewed indeﬁ nitely for up to one year each time it is renewed. • E Category Visa: Created for foreign workers from countries that signed the Friendship, Commerce, Navigation (FCN) treaty with the U.S. The E-2 visa is available to nationals of FCN treaty countries that have made a signiﬁcant investment within the United States. The E-3 visa is speciﬁcally for Australians who intend on working in the U.S. temporarily in a specialty occupation. E category visas are valid for two years and can be renewed indeﬁ nitely. STRATEGIC HR TECHNOLOGY As more companies recruit specialized foreign workers in an effort to maintain their competitive edge, employers will continue to face mounting pressure to manage the inﬂux of immigration processing for foreign nationals efﬁciently and cost-effectively. By working with legal service providers using technology strategically to automate the non-legal aspects of the visa application process, corporations gain numerous advantages, such as: • First, more applications can be processed quickly and at lower costs. For example, a typical paralegal can process 60 applications manually per month versus 400 per month with online capabilities. • Second, advanced legal service providers can respond to client questions and concerns faster than attorneys in traditional practice. With technology at their ﬁ ngertips, attorneys can generally provide responses to immigra- tion processing questions consistently within 30 minutes, compared to the days or weeks traditional immigration lawyers usually require. • Third, technology gives clients complete access to real-time information and counsel—as well as increasing their attorneys’ capacity for direct client communication. • Freed from the constraints of time-consuming administrative work by technology, each attorney can handle 1,500 client inquiries per month versus 160. • Equally important, they have additional time available to focus on the legal aspects of immigration that actually require their expertise. • In turn, clients can count on consistently receiving expert, high-quality support as quickly and frequently as they need it. In addition, technology empowers corporate employees to communicate directly with the legal services provider, eliminating the need for HR and in-house legal professionals to serve as intermediaries. As a result, more time is available for these professionals to focus on strategic initiatives and other corporate responsibilities. The bottom line is that utilizing the technology-driven model is a win-win opportunity when it comes to outsourcing immigration services. Legal service providers can dramatically increase the number of visas they process while providing the high-quality support and consultation clients expect. In turn, clients get the value, efﬁciency and results they seek—as conﬁ rmed by approval ratings of 99%, signiﬁcantly higher than the industry average, for providers utilizing the technologydriven model. With the right legal service provider, companies are able to explore all visa alternatives and select the ones that match each unique situation. Properly planning for these new employees to be added to your workforce, implementing best practices to ensure smooth immigration processing results and understanding other options are imperative for companies to experience a quick and accurate visa ﬁling process. Navigating through the U.S. immigration process can be a challenge, and choosing the right partner can help with the H-1B and other work visa application processes. Legal service providers that innovatively utilize technology can help expedite the process ensuring applications are submitted quickly, correctly and cost effectively. ■ Bob Meltzer, CEO of VISANOW, leads the company in its pursuit of revolutionizing immigration process management. VISANOW streamlines the immigration process for corporations and their foreign employees combining comprehensive legal expertise, unparalleled customer service and patented, groundbreaking technologies. The ﬁrst company to automate all aspects of the U.S. visa and immigration application process from end to end, VISANOW maintains its pioneering spirit today by continuing to offer services that revolutionize the management of immigration matters. Summer 2008 PIHRAScope 9

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of PIHRA Scope - Summer 2008

PIHRA Scope - Summer 2008 Contents Message from the President HR Technology to the Rescue: What to Do in the Aftermath of the H-1B Visa Cap Bridging the Gap: When ‘IT’ is from Mars and ‘HR’ is from Venus HR Concepts Maximizing Returns from Benefi t Investments with Better Communications Strategic Marketing Alliance: Develop Yours as Easy as ABC… PIHRA Calendar Scope on the Districts PIHRA’s New Members Index to Advertisers

PIHRA Scope - Summer 2008

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