Immigration Uncertainty

Employers, especially in technology, are fearful of changes to the foreign worker visa program.

By: Craig Guillot | April 7, 2017

Uncertainty over President Trump’s travel ban and the potential for changes to the H-1B visa program have many companies contemplating the risks to foreign workers.

New proposals could call for some drastic changes to the visa program at a time when many technology companies say there’s already a talent shortage.

At the same time, critics of the H-1B visa program, which is used for professionals in specialty fields, say some companies are playing the system to replace American workers with less costly foreign staff.

The debate is ongoing although it has heated up with the new administration’s pronouncements, leaving companies that rely on H-1B workers with both uncertainty and risk.

H-1Bs Essential to Secure Talent

Goldman Sachs estimates there are nearly one million H-1B visa holders working in the U.S., accounting for up to 13 percent of the country’s tech workforce. An H-1B visa is an employment-based, non-immigrant visa category for temporary workers.

Employers must apply to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on the worker’s behalf. Most applicants are required to hold at least a bachelor’s degree or equivalent training and must be paid the prevailing wage for the role.

Employers pay filing fees of between $1,570 to $2,320 per worker for three-year visas that can be extended for up to six years. Of the 85,000 H-1Bs offered annually by the USCIS, 20,000 are reserved for those with a master’s degree or higher.

William Stock, attorney, Klasko Immigration Law Partners

If the USCIS receives more than the number of petitions in the first five business days of the annual filing system, it awards visas on a random lottery system run by computer.

William Stock, an attorney with Klasko Immigration Law Partners in Philadelphia, and president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said companies have often used H-1Bs to fill roles in IT infrastructure and software development that they otherwise haven’t been able to fill.

According to Code.org, there are nearly a half-million open computing jobs, yet only 43,000 Americans graduate from college with computer science degrees annually. While many tech jobs can be outsourced overseas, Stock said there’s still a strong need for talent to be onsite in the United States.

Employers Anticipate Change

Companies of all sizes are evaluating the potential for changes in the system, said Matthew Dunn, partner with Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel law firm.

While there are some steps President Trump could take on his own, Dunn said, mass changes would likely need to be approved by Congress.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., recently announced plans to introduce a bill that would require all employers seeking H-1B visas to demonstrate “good faith efforts” to find American workers first.

It would also do away with a lottery system and require that employers prioritize the top foreign students who studied in the U.S.

Dunn said it could add pressure for companies since they are already challenged with obtaining the workers they need.

“Right now, there are 85,000 H-1B visas available each year and there are over 200,000 applicants so the chance of getting one is less than 50 percent,” said Dunn.

Other proposals would boost salary thresholds for workers and remove loopholes in the existing H-1B regulations that let some work for less money than U.S. counterparts.

While there is generally bipartisan support for a vetting process to ensure U.S. workers are not being replaced by cheap foreign labor, employers are still concerned that reforms could curtail their access to talent.

Dick Burke, CEO, Envoy

In the meantime, Stock said, these employers are seeking “as many H-1Bs as they can this season” before there are changes to the law, and they’re also ensuring their salaries are competitive.

Companies are also eyeing their vendor relationships to assess their dependence on foreign workers and how changes could impact their ability to deliver products or services.

Dick Burke, CEO at Envoy, a company that helps secure work authorizations across the globe, said many employers are seeking to move foreign workers to “higher ground” by securing more durable authorization.

Mexican and Canadian citizens can be moved to a NAFTA Professional (TN) work visa and others can use an L-1 work visa, a class designed to help multinationals move more people around. Burke said other companies are even trying to help employees obtain a green card as a legal permanent resident.

“They’re really trying to take advantage of the opportunities that the immigration process permits and we’re helping our [clients] do that,” said Burke.

Travel Ban “Unpredictable”

While employers anticipate changes in the H-1B program in the coming year, President Trump’s travel ban executive order has been a more pressing issue.

Dunn said it is difficult to contend with the new “unpredictability of rules that government may require them to follow.”

“It was just sprung on companies and business travel was certainly disrupted and then plans for future travel have been put on hold,” said Dunn.

It was just sprung on companies and business travel was certainly disrupted and then plans for future travel have been put on hold. — Matthew Dunn, partner, Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel

Companies have been communicating with their “employees of concern” about adjustments and status of the ban, he said. And while some of these companies have been holding town hall-type meetings to lend support to foreign national workers, others have been taking a “wait and see” approach.

Stock said the ban has led to a great deal of uncertainty in the business community as it was “unprecedented in scope” and not tethered to “any realistic risk/benefit analysis.”

While employers remain at the mercy of federal regulations, Burke said, many are deciding to “become more vocal” with their representatives.

There’s not only concern about changes to immigration in the United States but about how foreign governments could respond with potential retaliation. The perception that the travel ban, now being fought in the courts, focuses on Muslims may cause retribution in the global economy, Burke said.

India is the biggest provider of H-1B workers, making up nearly 70 percent of the foreign workforce.

“There’s big concern for companies with global operations. There’s a fear that if you’re not going to let our people come in, we’re going to make it very difficult for you to transact business in our country,” said Burke. &

Craig Guillot is a writer and photographer, based in New Orleans. He can be reached at [email protected].

Vermont’s Future Is Golden

Challenging market conditions are driving insureds to captives. Vermont offers a reliable domicile.

By: State of Vermont | November 21, 2024

Hard markets in commercial insurance lines have been a problem for years now. Many lines don’t show signs of softening, though some, like cyber, have ebbed over the past few years.

High claims volumes and costs have caused carriers to tighten terms and conditions, introduce new exclusions and increase premiums. A variety of different risks are included in this market tightening, and it’s affecting both public and private companies.

As Sandy Bigglestone, deputy commissioner for the State of Vermont’s captive insurance division, explained, schools, churches and other nonprofits are contending carriers are “excluding sexual abuse and molestation from coverage for a lot of these types of entities. These organizations understand the risk and the public needs to have confidence the organizations are addressing the risks, so they must have the coverage.”

Though many commercial lines are affected, property has perhaps been hit the hardest. Increased claims, inaccurate property valuations and other challenges have caused insurers to tighten their books in recent years. 2024’s spate of hurricanes will likely make matters worse.

“There continues to be challenges in the commercial market,” Bigglestone said. “Some companies are coming to us with risks that they say they’ve been self-insuring on their balance sheet, and why not transfer that to a captive to receive greater benefits?”

Consistency and Stability

Sandy Bigglestone, Deputy Commissioner for the State of Vermont’s Captive Insurance Division

With the commercial insurance market so unstable, companies are turning to captives to house their exposures. Vermont, a long-time domicile, is getting increased attention because of their strong reputation and their leadership as the top domicile worldwide.

“All stakeholders enjoy the stable political and regulatory environment Vermont has to offer to operate in,” Bigglestone said.

Of course, a lot of consideration goes into deciding whether or not a captive is the right choice for a particular company. Businesses need to assess their exposures and their books to make sure they can adequately operate a captive.

There are significant advantages, however. “For low frequency, high severity risks, captives can access the reinsurance markets directly, so it’s very attractive for businesses to put a captive in place,” Bigglestone said.

And carriers are more accepting of captives as part of a broader insurance program.

“Captives are changing the relationship businesses have with commercial carriers,” Bigglestone said. “Commercial carriers are wanting to see companies with skin in the game; therefore, the relationships have evolved to be less transactional and more strategic.”

Balancing Bureaucracy

With 76 global domiciles, companies have a lot of options when it comes to selecting a captive partner. “Captive insurance domiciles compete globally for the business,” Bigglestone said. “If you were to put all 7,000-plus captive insurance companies around the world, all in New York, it wouldn’t have the same economic impact as 700 captives in Vermont does. The captive insurance industry is very important to our state and we will continue to support it in any way we can.”

Businesses should look for domiciles that balance a need for quality regulations with a process that isn’t overly bureaucratic and is seamless for business owners to navigate.

“Companies are attracted to an environment with quality regulatory standards and a stable regulatory environment,” Bigglestone said. “Vermont sets the regulatory standard in terms of financial analysis and examinations.”

In addition to quality regulations, firms will want to seek out a domicile that is agile enough to license captive insurance companies that fit their unique needs. It is important that a domicile have firm but fair regulation and the experience to consider new ideas and implement them. Companies must consider a variety of factors when choosing a domicile and not everyone will be the right fit for every company.

“You have to consider the captive owner and the industry sector that that owner operates in, as well as the insurance risks that are going into the captive program,” Bigglestone said. “Captive laws and regulations have to have a reasonable degree of flexibility to accommodate all the varying needs of owners and then impose rules based on the merits of each captive program.”

She added that creativity is a critical part of the process: “The ability to vet concepts and ideas with trusted individuals is key to having quality standards,” Bigglestone said. “And it can make captives appealing to insureds who are tired of commercial carriers not meeting the needs of the business, and who desire more control over their insurance programs.”

“When you think about the commercial marketplace, commercial insurers are supposed to operate in each jurisdiction in a competitive manner. Commercial carriers often look the same. They sell auto coverage to anyone with a driver’s license. The rules and regulations imposed upon commercial insurance companies are designed to be more formulaic for that reason,” Bigglestone said.

“Uniform regulatory standards apply to commercial carriers for the protection of the policyholders. These are standards all insurance regulators focus on, and standards captive insurance regulators need to understand, but with a specialized focus.”

A Quality Domicile Built for the Future

A combination of experience, regulatory standards and talent make Vermont a top domicile for companies looking to form a captive. The longevity of licensing captive insurance companies for over forty years is a testament to the quality work they’ve provided in the past and will continue to provide for many years to come.

Vermont’s reputation has helped the state attract and retain top captive talent, ensuring the businesses it serves are in good hands. The state has 32 employees dedicated to captives, and their average employee retention is 15 years. The Vermont Captive Insurance Association, the largest captive insurance trade organization, also helps companies connect with professional services needed to make their captive successful.

“There’s a whole host of service providers with proven expertise right here in Vermont,” Bigglestone said.

Taken together, Vermont’s resources, expertise and talent make it a prime domicile. They’ve been on a growth trajectory over the last few years and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon. Companies can trust their captive will be in good hands when they choose Vermont.

“Vermont has always competed on quality,” Bigglestone said. “We do have a mission and that hasn’t changed in over 40 years. It’s to maintain a system, or domicile that attracts quality business to Vermont, to promote our reputation in the industry, and to uphold a regulatory framework to protect the solvency of the companies that choose to place their business here.”

To learn more, visit: www.vermontcaptive.com

This article was produced by the R&I Brand Studio, a unit of the advertising department of Risk & Insurance, in collaboration with State of Vermont. The editorial staff of Risk & Insurance had no role in its preparation.

The State of Vermont, known as the “Gold Standard” of captive domiciles, is the leading onshore captive insurance domicile, with over 1,200 licensed captive insurance companies, including 48 of the Fortune 100 and 18 of the companies that make up the Dow 30.

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