Using Technology to Simplify the Immigration Process for International Talent and their Employers

Hello listeners, and welcome back to Tech Forward! This week, I'm speaking with Mahi Inampudi, Vice President of Product and Technology at Envoy. Envoy creates and manages technology that aims to make the immigration process seamless and efficient for both immigrants and their employers. Having experienced the immigration process firsthand as an employee, employer, and a family member, Mahi's decision to join Envoy was a very personal once. On today's episode he'll be sharing his story, as well as discussing some of the ways Envoy helps companies support international talent. With 18 years of experience in building software, Mahi's career has spanned a period of rapid acceleration in the development of technology. In his role with IBM, he focused on building social collaboration software for large enterprise companies and later led the web, data, analytics and DevOps teams at Apartments.com. Mahi finds himself inspired by the swift evolution of technology over the last two decades, and that inspiration plays a significant role in his work with Envoy Global. At a time when demand for software engineers is outpacing supply, Envoy strives to simplify corporate immigration both for employees and employers. Immigration processes and workflows are incredibly complex, and — unlike many other aspects of our personal and professional lives — have not changed very much over the last 15 years. Human resources professionals at large companies have to strike a balance between the best possible experience for employees on a sponsored work visa, and the legal costs of the immigration process. Envoy brings critical elements of the consumer experience people expect in 2018 into immigration technology. Their work is informed by an annual immigration trend survey of 400-500 companies, which provides valuable insights into supply and demand, as well as employee concerns and desires. While Mahi cites several challenges immigrants face when relocating — such as cultural differences and the possibility of a language barrier — he stresses, above all, the importance of familiarity with immigration law in order to maintain compliance. Something as simple as a change of job description, working remotely for a period of time, or even a raise can affect compliance. Mahi advises that any company employing foreign nationals leverage technology to assist in complying with immigration laws and changing policies. To that end, Envoy recently built and launched software that allows HR teams to constantly audit for compliance within their companies. The importance of this work cannot be overstated: "Simplifying things lets the employees focus on their primary job, instead of spending time worrying about navigating the process of immigration." Mahi, thank you so much for coming onto the show and giving our listeners a glimpse into the work you're doing with Envoy Global. Thank you as well to everyone out there listening, reviewing, and sharing the show. See you next week! Connect with us Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook