Recent policy changes around the world reveal a concerning trend – immigration regimes making it more difficult for working families to stay united across borders.
In a recent The View From The Top discussion, Louise Haycock of Fragomen raised awareness around increasingly stringent visa rules for dependents. While some countries like the US allow assignees to bring children up to age 21, many others impose strict cutoffs at age 18. This fails to align with the reality that youth today often remain financially dependent on parents for schooling beyond high school years.
Such restrictive dependency visa parameters place a huge strain on families. Haycock shared examples of corporations suddenly incurring major additional costs to relocate entire families earlier than planned. Otherwise, families face untenable choices between splitting up or canceling international moves entirely.
The situation looks particularly troubling in the UK, where recent figures indicate over 250,000 visas granted last year for workers’ dependents. Facing political pressure on migration numbers, new policies are aiming at limiting the number of dependents workers can bring along. This has already begun with foreign students losing dependent privileges as of January 2023.
There are also calls to restrict dependent visas for vital healthcare staff who power an enormously understaffed sector. As Haycock notes, “a policy where you pick your favorite dependent” does not provide a helpful solution.
Bottom line, immigration policy changes today often fail to account for real-life family needs and the necessity of mobility in a globalized world. The immigration experience can make or break an international assignment. More advocacy is crucial to stop the tightening restrictions that separate families and hinder talent mobility.
View the complete discussion here
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