As global mobility and corporate relocation return to pre-pandemic levels after international movement was halted during COVID, and an increasing number of people are now working remotely, international assignments are becoming more and more complicated. New visa types, such as digital nomad visas, are being launched offering exciting new global opportunities for both employers and employees. 

Inevitably, however, this comes with new requirements and administrative hurdles to navigate. And for in-house mobility and immigration teams, it can be challenging to keep track of global visa requirements while also procuring and handling necessary documents for those various visa applications. That’s where outsourcing document procurement to experts comes into play.

This article is going to explore the reasons why in-house mobility and immigration professionals should consider outsourcing travel document procurement rather than using in-house global mobility professionals and how to get started.

3 reasons in-house mobility professionals should outsource document management

Outsourcing document management can offer considerable benefits to any organization. By having an outsourced document procurement department, you can refocus your energy and thus better utilize your time and resources to work with transferees, global hiring managers, etc., with the knowledge that your international document procurement is being taken care of compliantly and efficiently. 

So, here are three major reasons why working with an outsourced document procurement company can help you as an in-house global mobility or immigration professional.

You get boots on the ground around the world.

Other than some large multinationals, in-house global mobility and immigration teams are often based at a company’s headquarters or in the country the company is based. And while that doesn’t impact their ability to coordinate and support international moves, whether internal relocations or immigration for new hires, not having boots on the ground at the home country of the individual that is going to relocate makes it harder to ensure that all relocation-related documents are gathered, certified and available. So what can you do if you don’t have an HR or mobility colleague in the country your new hire or internal transfer is coming from?

That’s where working with an outsourced professional document management company with team members all over the world who specialize in procuring, certifying and handling immigration-related documents comes in. By working with a company that supports visa-related document management, you get boots on the ground in countries all over the world, and you can be sure that given their specialized knowledge of the immigration process and what documents are needed, you will get the support you need to ensure that your relocation or international new hire process goes as smoothly as possible.

Local document procurement is often faster.

You might be thinking, “well if I can call or email a government agency to get immigration-related documents, why can’t I do that on my own?” The short answer is that you can, but be aware of a few challenges. First, not being local means you can’t simply walk into a local government office or branch and either get a document or provide needed information to get a document, and in some countries or locales, being in-person is much faster than doing it electronically.

Additionally, as immigration laws and policies change, having someone local to keep track of it and make sure that they’re following the latest procedures is also important to keep things going. The alternative is trying to reactively navigate new immiration laws or policies when they change which, of course, decreases efficiency and can prolong things at best.

Single point of contact for mobility professionals.

Some in-house mobility teams build a network of providers in different parts of the world who help them, as needed, with international moves or international new hires. And while this certainly works, there are two challenges to keep in mind. First, it takes a long time to build this network, so while some larger multinationals have an established network of local providers, smaller companies that are starting to expand internationally or maybe even just hire from abroad, building that network of on-the-ground providers takes time.

Second, even if they can build a network of local providers, or already have one, managing multiple relationships and keeping up with them is time-consuming and stressful to say the least. That’s why working with a company that specializes in immigration document procurement and management is more effective – they provide a single point of contact for corporate mobility professionals, meaning you won’t have to coordinate across multiple providers in different time zones but instead have one point of contact to support all immigration and mobility documentation needs. Having a dedicated relationship makes it easy to personalize the service as well to the exact needs of your business.

LEX Documents can help global mobility and immigration professionals manage documents

Taking advantage of a globally connected service for all of your international documentation needs allows companies to focus on the business rather than administration. This is where LEX Documents comes in.

We have offices and staff across Europe, North America, and Latin America with expertise in international administration and local and international document management for immigration and global mobility needs. And if there are changes in immigration requirements, we’re aware of them in real time.

At LEX Documents, we offer services ranging from visa applications and processing to document procurement, legalization, and translation. But whatever your business needs, we can offer a customized service with a single point of contact to navigate complex bureaucratic systems quickly. Reach out to us to find out how Lex Documents can help you.