Evaluating Your Immigration Partner: A Practical HR Guide for Better Support

Evaluating Your Immigration Partner Isn’t Personal—It’s Strategic HR Leadership

HR Leader (Aria): We’ve used the same immigration firm for years. But I’m still the one managing the tracker, chasing timelines, and explaining the process to our team. Is that normal?

People Ops Partner (Casey): It’s common. But that doesn’t make it acceptable. There’s a difference between being involved and being the system.

Most HR Leaders Don’t Know What to Expect from Immigration Counsel

Immigration has always been a black box—so HR ends up adapting to gaps instead of demanding a better structure.

You might be:

• Creating case calendars because the firm doesn't provide one

• Acting as the sole communicator between attorneys and employees

• Rewriting job descriptions to fix legal oversights

• Calming employees after unclear legal updates

But just because you can do these things doesn’t mean you should.

Evaluating Your Immigration Partner: A Checklist for HR Teams

Here’s what great immigration counsel provides—consistently:

✅ Case visibility: HR and employees should both have access to case milestones, filing status, and expected timelines.

✅ Proactive communication: You shouldn’t have to chase updates. Legal should drive the process and flag risks early.

✅ HR-first documentation: Job description reviews, wage level inputs, and internal approvals should be tailored for your workflows.

✅ Employee-facing clarity: Counsel should offer FAQs, templates, or office hours—so employees aren’t relying on HR to translate legal language.

✅ Risk transparency: Great partners explain options clearly. No surprises, no ambiguity, no ghosting.

✅ Responsiveness: Reasonable email turnaround (especially on urgent cases) should be non-negotiable.

Good Enough vs. Great: A Side-by-Side Comparison

Use this quick chart to compare your current immigration support to what’s possible:

Area	Good Enough Counsel	Great Immigration Partner
Timelines	Shared on request	Delivered proactively with alerts
Employee communication	Legalese-heavy, vague	Clear, empathetic, timely
Issue response	Slow or escalated late	Anticipated and addressed early
HR integration	Light touch, generic	HR-aware templates and workflows

How to Advocate for Change Without Burning Bridges

If you're realizing the firm you've worked with for years isn't hitting the mark, it's okay to start asking for more. Here's how to approach it:

• Start with impact: “Here’s what happens when we don’t get proactive updates...”

• Frame it as a shared goal: “We want to create a smoother, more transparent experience for everyone involved.”

• Use data, not just anecdotes: Missed timelines, recurring confusion, or employee feedback are powerful signals.

• Position change as leadership: HR isn't being 'difficult'—you’re building a better experience for your people.

If you’re already working with counsel:

• Do a quarterly review of performance against this list.

• Ask leadership to align on what “good” immigration support should look like.

• Share missed expectations as data, not complaints.

If you’re considering a new provider:

• Use this checklist in your RFP or selection process.

• Ask each firm to map their services to these expectations.

How to Advocate for Change Without Burning Bridges

If you're realizing the firm you've worked with for years isn't hitting the mark, it's okay to start asking for more. Here's how to approach it:

• Start with impact: “Here’s what happens when we don’t get proactive updates...”

• Frame it as a shared goal: “We want to create a smoother, more transparent experience for everyone involved.”

• Use data, not just anecdotes: Missed timelines, recurring confusion, or employee feedback are powerful signals.

• Position change as leadership: HR isn't being 'difficult'—you’re building a better experience for your people.

Sample Email: How to Flag Gaps Without Sounding Combative

Sometimes the hardest part is just starting the conversation. Here’s a sample email HR leaders can use to elevate the issue without finger-pointing:

Subject: Aligning on Immigration Expectations

Hi [Leader's Name],

I wanted to flag a few ongoing gaps in our immigration process that are creating delays and extra cycles for our team:

• We’re often the ones initiating timeline follow-ups

• Employee communication is inconsistent or unclear

• We’re spending time reworking job details that could be clarified earlier

This isn't about blaming our current firm—it's about clarifying what support should look like as we scale. I’d love to explore how we can set a higher bar and ensure immigration is handled with the same structure and care we apply to every other People function.

Happy to discuss this further or share examples if helpful.

Best,[Your Name]

Final Thoughts: It’s Not Too Much to Ask

Immigration is high-stakes, high-stress, and deeply human. HR leaders deserve more than generic case emails and last-minute updates.

You don’t need to micromanage the process. You need a partner who respects your time, your role, and your people.