EOR-Sponsored Visas: A Guide for Enterprise Businesses

To attract and retain top global talent and expand into new markets, enterprises must adapt to employee preferences for flexible and remote working, and their requirements for global mobility. As a result, many enterprise organizations are facing the challenge of procuring visas for their international employees.

Here are a few of the most common reasons that an employer might need to procure a work visas on behalf of an employee:

• To hire the best talent, regardless of location. In today’s globalized economy, the best talent isn't always located in the same place as your company headquarters. By procuring work visas, your enterprise organization opens up its hiring pool to top talent worldwide
• To expand into new markets. When your enterprise organization expands into a new market, you might choose to hire local talent. Alternatively, you may prefer to relocate your highly-skilled employees, who may require work visas
• To meet the needs of a remote workforce. Workers, particularly those working remotely, value a work-life balance and expect the flexibility to relocate. As a result, companies must prepare to support worker-requested relocation with visa procurement

What is visa sponsorship?

Visa sponsorship is a process in which a person or organization agrees to support or sponsor a foreign national’s visa or work authorization application and provide the necessary documentation to the government. The sponsor takes on certain responsibilities and obligations to ensure that the sponsored individual complies with immigration laws and regulations.

Many countries require visa sponsorship before a foreign worker can live and work there. This is because visa sponsorship helps to protect workers from exploitation, and allows governments to keep track of foreign workers operating in the country and collect fees that can be used to support state programs.

Here are some of the ways that visa sponsorship helps to protect workers:

• It ensures workers are paid a fair wage and operate under safe working conditions
• It prevents workers from being exploited by unscrupulous employers
• It provides workers with a way to challenge unfair treatment or discrimination

Visa sponsorship also helps to keep track of foreign workers in a country. This is important for several reasons, including:

• It can help to manage undocumented immigration
• It can help to ensure that foreign workers are paying taxes
• It can help to track the impact of foreign workers on the economy

Who can sponsor a work visa?

An employer in the destination country who wants to hire a foreign worker will typically sponsoring their work visa. Every country has its own requirements for employment-based work visas and employer sponsorship. The specific criteria, documentation, and processes can vary significantly. 

In many cases, having a presence in the destination country is a requirement or at least a strong factor when sponsoring an employment visa for a foreign employee. The presence can take various forms, such as an established business entity, a registered office, a branch, or an ongoing business operation. This requirement ensures that the employer genuinely operates within the country and has a legitimate need for the foreign employee’s services.

Don’t have a physical presence or legal entity in a target country? That’s where EOR visa sponsorship comes in. 

What is an EOR-sponsored visa?

An EOR-sponsored visa refers to a work visa that is sponsored by an employer of record (EOR) on behalf of a foreign worker. An EOR is a company or organization that serves as the legal employer for a workforce, managing aspects like payroll, benefits, HR administration, and compliance with employment laws and regulations.

In the context of work visas, an EOR-sponsored visa involves the following:

• Employer of record (EOR): The EOR is a third-party entity that takes on the legal and administrative responsibilities of employing workers on behalf of client companies. This can be particularly useful for companies that want to expand their workforce to other countries without establishing a physical presence or legal entity in those countries
• Foreign worker: The foreign worker is an individual seeking to work in a country other than their own. They might be hired directly by a client company but are employed by the EOR from a legal and administrative standpoint
• Sponsorship: The EOR sponsors the work visa on behalf of the foreign worker, assuming the legal and regulatory obligations associated with hiring an international employee. This sponsorship ensures compliance with local labor laws, tax regulations, and other employment-related requirements
• Visa processing: The EOR facilitates the application and processing of the work visa for the foreign worker. This can involve submitting supporting documents, interacting with immigration authorities, and coordinating the visa approval process
• Work arrangement: Once the work visa is approved, the foreign worker can legally work for the client company in the destination country. The EOR continues to handle payroll, benefits, and other employment-related matters while ensuring compliance with local laws

Discover how financial technology company, Zip Co, championed worker mobility with Deel.

How does EOR visa sponsorship work with Deel?

With Deel, EOR visa sponsorship is built into the intuitive global payroll and HR platform. Companies using Deel can quickly initiate the visa sponsorship and procurement process while creating a work contract for a new hire, or they can check visa eligibility for an employee before creating a contract.

Here’s a step-by-step process for requesting visa sponsorship with Deel for a new or existing employee: 

1. From the immigration tab, select ‘check visa eligibility’
2. Choose the country where you’re hiring the employee
3. Select 'new' or 'existing' employee eligibility
4. Enter employee details, including their current citizenship status and the number of family members or dependents who also require a visa
5. Review and submit the visa eligibility check
6. Review the cost breakdown and timeline for an eligible visa
7. Create the EOR contract
8. Choose any additional benefits and request a quote from the EOR team
9. Review and sign the EOR contract
10. Review the invoice for immigration services and make payment.
11. Deel will start the visa application process, which you can monitor with the tracker

Discover how B2B SaaS company, Taktile, sponsored three visas with Deel

Additional advantages of using an EOR sponsor

Beyond EOR sponsorship, certain EOR platforms offer a comprehensive suite of global services. An EOR sponsor like Deel, for example, provides the following:

• Global payroll: Run payroll around the world with one platform to streamline international operations and eliminate the ongoing admin of local compliance, taxes, benefits, and more
• Background checks: Put candidate screening on autopilot in 190+ countries with AI-powered technology that provides screening results in minutes, accelerating your time to hire by around 80%
• Equipment: Procure, deliver, and manage all the IT equipment your global team needs to work from home with Deel IT. Deel IT handles the logistics such as tax compliance, customs and shipping documents, and door-to-door delivery in 130+ countries
• Flexible workplace memberships: Offer new hires the convenience of a coworking space membership. Deel will handle the admin for issuing new hire passes and manage any workspace issues
• Equity: Receive legal and tax support to grant your global EOR employees equity. We’ll also take care of payroll and report any taxable events
• Misclassification protection: Let us correctly classify and hire contractors in 150+ countries on your behalf with Deel Contractor of Record
• Free HR plugins: Improve collaboration and culture with our Engage plugins that enable your team complete tasks in Slack, eliminating context-switching, and boost your employees' productivity

Discover how payments technology company, Form3, grew its workforce by 20% in one year with Deel:

Streamline international hiring with EOR visa sponsorship by Deel

In the realm of EOR visa sponsorship, Deel stands out as a superior partner. Our global platform gives enterprises access to an array of services that make it easy to hire, onboard, and manage employees and contractors in multiple countries. 

Embracing EOR-sponsored visas through platforms like Deel is no longer just a strategy, but a necessity for global enterprises. By harnessing this innovative approach to international mobility, organizations can unlock the full potential of a diverse global talent pool, while gaining a competitive advantage.

Today, Deel is the largest EOR provider globally, supporting over 35,000 businesses across a market-leading 150+ entities. Each entity is solely owned and managed by Deel, with no outsourcing to third-party providers.

Learn more about Deel’s visa and immigration services, or request a demo with a product expert.

Disclaimer: Be aware that this article is not a substitute for legal advice. Please always check official websites or seek legal advice before you take action.