E-Paper
H-1B visa: Why US companies are moving foreign workers abroad and fast-tracking green cards
An Envoy Global report found that employers are increasingly relocating foreign talent outside the US and sponsoring green cards earlier.
US companies are increasingly relocating foreign workers to other countries and accelerating green card sponsorship as growing uncertainty around the H-1B visa program makes it harder to hire and retain global talent, according to Envoy Global's US Corporate Immigration Trends 2026 report.
The survey, conducted among 519 US employers between March 20 and April 14, 2026, found that 65% of respondents said foreign employees had left the US over the past year because of visa-related issues, including application denials and processing delays. That figure was up from 53% in 2025.
Meanwhile, 60.9% of employers said they had relocated employees outside the US due to visa delays or other immigration barriers, compared with 48.6% a year earlier.
Why are companies moving workers abroad?
According to the report, employers are increasingly shifting talent to countries with more favorable immigration systems instead of reducing international hiring.
Canada emerged as the most popular relocation destination, cited by 72.8% of employers, followed by the United Kingdom (69.6%). Australia, Germany, France, Ireland, Spain, the UAE, Singapore and the Netherlands also ranked among preferred destinations.
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The report also found that nearly 68% of employers plan to increase nearshoring or offshoring in 2026 to overcome immigration barriers and domestic labor shortages.
Nicole Hartnett, Managing Attorney at Corporate Immigration Partners, said organizations with large H-1B workforces are among the most likely to adopt global redistribution strategies.
"Financial and professional services, along with technology, report the strongest pivot toward global redistribution," Hartnett said, noting that increasing visa unpredictability has made workforce planning more difficult for employers that rely on highly skilled international talent.
Why are green cards being sponsored earlier?
The report points to a major shift in employer retention strategies, with companies initiating green card sponsorship much sooner than in previous years.
According to Envoy Global, three out of four employers now begin the green card process within an employee's first three months at the company.
The report attributes the change to longer PERM labor certification processing times, now estimated at 16 to 18 months, along with rising government fees and greater uncertainty surrounding temporary work visas.
Additionally, around 90% of employers said they cover all or most green card-related costs, with some requiring employees to repay those expenses if they leave after sponsorship.
Despite the challenges, employer demand for H-1B workers remains strong.
Nearly six in 10 employers submitted more H-1B registrations than the previous year, even as visa availability remained limited. Employers cited the H-1B cap, rising government fees and evolving selection rules as the biggest obstacles to hiring international talent.
