The HR Middleman Problem in Immigration: Why It’s Broken and How to Fix It

Emily McIntosh
May 6
2 min read

Why HR shouldn’t have to translate between lawyers and employees—and what a better immigration model looks like without being the middleman

HR Leader (Morgan): I’m the one explaining visa rules to our engineers and correcting the attorney’s assumptions about job roles. I feel like the middleman—stuck between legal and employees.

People Ops Partner (Tessa): That’s because you are. Most HR teams are. And it’s exhausting.

Illustration of an overwhelmed HR professional at a cluttered desk, juggling documents, emails, and question marks while seated between icons representing a lawyer and an employee. The image visually captures the stress of acting as the middleman in the immigration process.

Why HR Ends Up as the Middleman in the Immigration Process

Most immigration processes are built for lawyers, not for HR. As a result, you end up:

Translating legal jargon for employees
Re-explaining case strategy to leadership
Clarifying job titles and descriptions for attorneys
Carrying emotional weight for employees the attorney barely knows

And because no one else sees the full picture, HR becomes the default interpreter in the immigration process—whether you want to be or not.

Why the HR Middleman Model Breaks Down in Immigration

Being the go-between isn’t just inefficient—it’s risky. Here’s why:

Messages get filtered or distorted: When HR has to relay every legal nuance or employee concern, important context gets lost or misinterpreted.
It drains HR bandwidth: Instead of focusing on people strategy, you’re fielding legal updates and writing Slack messages no one should have to write twice.
It creates unnecessary anxiety: Employees hear one thing from HR, then something slightly different from the attorney. Confusion breeds mistrust.

What a Better Immigration Model Looks Like

In a better system, HR doesn’t translate—they orchestrate.

Employees have direct, documented access to case timelines and status
Attorneys understand job frameworks before filing begins
Immigration updates are centralized—not scattered across inboxes
HR has visibility and control, but not the burden of communication

When done right, HR can lead immigration without being its interpreter.

What HR Leaders Actually Want

From our work with People teams, we hear the same wish list over and over:

"I don’t want to chase the attorney for updates."
"I want employees to feel safe asking questions."
"I want leadership to see immigration as structured, not chaotic."
"I want to get out of the middle."

HR pros aren’t asking for less involvement—they’re asking for a model that matches how they work best: collaboratively, transparently, and with trust.

What It Feels Like When You’re No Longer the Middleman

If you’re using WayLit or considering it, here’s what changes:

You don’t disappear from the process—you evolve within it. You go from relay runner to conductor. Immigration stops being a string of follow-ups and translations, and starts being a structured, employee-friendly, leadership-aligned system.

Employees get clarity without waiting on you. Attorneys stay aligned without you hand-holding every step. And you finally get to lead, not mediate.

That’s not outsourcing. That’s up-leveling.

Final Thoughts: You Can Lead Immigration Without Being the HR Middleman

Being the bridge is noble. But it shouldn’t be required.

When immigration works well, HR becomes a strategic partner—not a translator. The emotional weight lightens. The workflows align. And employees start to see HR not just as the messenger, but as the leader who built a better way.