What is visa support?

Visa support is a service that helps employees obtain clearance to live and work in different countries. This service can help you expand your global reach and drive talent acquisition.

A visa is a government endorsement that allows an individual to work in a particular country. Each country has its own employment rules and requirements regarding foreign nationals working legally within their borders.

Several factors can complicate the application process for a working visa. Depending on the country, you can face a lot of red tape and bureaucracy to locate the correct forms, pay fees, and deal with additional information requests. What’s more, legislation is constantly changing and evolving. Visa support helps you and your employees to: 

• Navigate the complexities of work visa applications

• Reduce the burden on HR 

• Speed up the application process

When do you need visa support?

You might require visa support services in a few different scenarios. For example:

• If you want to hire an employee from a foreign country

• If you are a multinational and you want to relocate an employee to a foreign country

• If you desire to hold on to talented digital nomads while they travel around different countries

A visa support team can help smooth the process through their knowledge of local requirements and restrictions. Visa rules and regulations are complex. In some situations, filing paperwork can take months, and even simple errors can result in work visa rejections.

Work visa requirements

Work visa requirements vary depending on the country. However, some commonalities exist. Each country has unique visa specifications based on local government laws and regulations. Some countries have strict work visa application rules. For example, Australia has a skilled occupation list to control which workers can qualify for a work visa. Similarly, Japan requires enrolment in a school before even applying for an internship.

What is work visa sponsorship?

Many countries require employee sponsorship to grant a work visa. If you want to employ someone abroad, this can be a challenge. However, Deel can sponsor employees in other countries thanks to our Employee of Record model.

Different types of work visa

Depending on the jurisdiction, there are several different types of work visas. Some common examples include:

• General work visas

• Skilled work visa

• Family work visa (A visa for family members, spouses, partners, dependents, etc.)

Depending on your employee’s residence or country of origin, they may need to meet specific requirements to get a valid working visa in another country. Some of these requirements can include the following:

• Age restrictions (some countries have age caps in place for work visas)

• Qualifications (e.g., degrees)

• Work experience

• Skill level

• Country of origin (some countries have restrictions on particular nationalities)

Visa support is valuable due to the complexity of these rules and regulations. If you are a small business, it’s unlikely that you will have your own legal department. Visa support gives you access to experts who understand the process, saving you time and hassle.

Benefits of visa support

Hold on to your best employees: Some employees want to travel the world. However, that doesn’t mean they must take a career break or leave your business. Visa support means you can still engage your star employees while they live or work in different countries.

Attract top talent: By supporting global mobility, you can boost your employee value proposition (EVP) and increase your talent recruitment effectiveness.

Take the hassle out of applying for working visas: Even experienced teams can find navigating visa applications challenging. Visa support helps you find the correct forms, request assistance, or access local immigration lawyers to speed up the process.