The Fastest Way to Hire and Relocate International Talent to the US

You’ve found the perfect candidate. They have exactly the skills your team needs. There's just one problem: they’re in another country.

Now you’re faced with visa applications, immigration lawyers, compliance requirements, and a hiring process that could take months. Meanwhile, your competitors are moving faster, and that candidate you need? They’re exploring other offers.

We get it. At Deel, we’ve helped over 20,000 companies navigate this exact challenge. We’ve seen what works and what doesn’t when it comes to relocating international talent to the US.

Many companies waste 6+ months on US relocations because they pick the wrong visa pathway or decide to manage everything manually. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

The fastest companies relocate qualified international talent in 2-4 months—and have them working productively even sooner. How? They choose the right visa for their candidate’s profile and partner with immigration experts like Deel.

In this guide, we’ll show you exactly how to quickly hire international employees and relocate them to the US.

7 steps to expedite hiring global talent

Many companies waste months on US relocations by choosing the wrong visas or managing everything manually. These eight steps compress your timeline to 2-4 months: pick the right visa, get expert help, use an EOR for easy sponsorship, build efficient processes, support your hire's transition, stay compliant, and automate compliance and payroll.

1. Define your hiring and relocation objectives

Before you sponsor anyone, know exactly why you're hiring internationally. This clarity prevents delays later—you'll choose the right visa pathway from the start, rather than realizing mid-process that you picked the wrong one.

Define what you need. Are you filling a critical skill gap? Expanding into new markets? Transferring someone from an overseas office? Your answer determines which visa pathway is most suitable and how quickly you can realistically move.

Document these basics:

• Skill areas needed: What expertise can't you find domestically?
• Business impact: How does this hire support revenue, product development, or growth?
• Relocation timeline: When do you need them to start?
• Budget constraints: What can you spend on sponsorship, relocation, and legal fees?

2. Choose the fastest suitable visa pathway

Choosing the right visa type is the single most important factor in determining how quickly you can relocate international talent.

Each visa category has distinct eligibility requirements, processing times, and use cases—understanding US visa types like H-1B, L-1, and O-1, including their rules and timelines, is essential for speed and compliance.

Let’s break down each option in more detail.

See also: How to Get a Visa and Work Permit in the US

O-1 Visa for exceptional talent (2-3 months)

The O-1 is for people with extraordinary ability in science, tech, business, arts, or athletics.

Why it's fast:

• No annual cap or lottery
• Premium processing available (15-day decisions)
• Total timeline: 2-3 months from filing to arrival

The catch: O-1 visa requirements are strict. Your candidate needs serious credentials. Think patents, publications, major awards, industry recognition, or documented exceptional achievements.

This works for senior engineers, researchers, business leaders, or anyone with a track record that proves they're at the top of their field.

Deel Immigration helps you build strong O-1 cases with expert legal support and documentation guidance that increases approval rates.

L-1 visa for intra-company transfers

The L-1 visa lets you transfer employees from your foreign office to your US location.

Why it's fast:

• No cap or lottery
• Blanket petitions pre-qualify your company for faster processing
• Predictable timeline: 2-4 months

Requirements: The candidate must have worked for your foreign entity for at least one continuous year in the past three years.

If you have international offices (or are considering acquiring a foreign company to access talent), the L-1 is one of your fastest, most reliable options.

TN Visa: Days to weeks for Canadian and Mexican professionals

The TN visa is available to Canadian and Mexican citizens in specific professional occupations under the USMCA trade agreement.

Why it's fast:

• Processing at the border or port of entry
• Timeline: Days to weeks
• No annual cap

Eligible occupations include: Engineers, accountants, scientists, teachers, and many other professional roles.

If your candidate is Canadian or Mexican and their role qualifies, this is your fastest path.

H-1B visa for specialty occupations

The H-1B visa is for specialty occupations requiring a bachelor's degree or higher.

Timeline: 3-6 months if selected in the annual lottery (which runs in March for October start dates).

The catch: Only 85,000 H-1B visas are available annually. If your candidate isn't selected in the lottery, you'll have to wait another year.

Premium processing can reduce approval time to 15 days, but you still need to win the lottery first. The H-1B works if you have advance planning time, but for immediate needs, consider the O-1, L-1, or TN instead.

Other temporary and permanent visa pathways worth considering

• E-2 Visa (2-4 months): For investors and employees of treaty country businesses. Good for entrepreneurs or key employees of investor companies.
• EB-1 Green Card (8-12 months): Permanent residence for extraordinary ability. Fastest permanent option for exceptional talent.
• EB-2/EB-3 Green Card (1-3 years): Employer-sponsored permanent residence. Can work on a temporary visa while this processes.

3. Partner with immigration experts and legal services

Immigration laws are complex and constantly changing—and attempting to navigate them without expert guidance often results in rejected petitions, extended timelines, and compliance risks.

Partner with experienced immigration attorneys on specialized platforms like Deel Immigration. This can help you streamline applications, reduce processing delays, and significantly increase approval rates.

Centralizing immigration management through a single law firm or platform allows you to consistently track visa details, manage cases effectively, and maintain institutional knowledge across multiple hires. This centralized approach becomes increasingly valuable as you scale international hiring.

What immigration experts like Deel provide:

• Visa pathway assessment: Determine which option fits your candidate's profile and timeline
• Documentation guidance: Ensure everything is properly prepared before filing (avoiding requests for evidence that add months)
• Premium processing strategy: Advise when expedited processing is available and cost-effective
• Compliance monitoring: Track changing regulations that could affect your case
• USCIS relationships: Established firms often have productive working relationships with service centers

Start early. Bring immigration counsel in during the offer stage, not after acceptance. This parallel processing can save weeks.

At Deel Immigration, we combine expert legal support with technology that tracks deadlines, automates documentation, and provides real-time case status updates.

See also: US Visa Sponsorship: Employer Compliance Guide

4. Use Employer of Record (EOR) hiring

Here’s a game-changer. With an Employer of Record (EOR), you don’t need to wait for visa approval to start working with your candidate.

An EOR is a service that legally employs talent on your behalf in another country, handling compliance, payroll, and benefits administration while you maintain day-to-day management of the worker.

How it works:

1. Hire your candidate through Deel in their current location
2. They start working for you immediately (Deel handles local compliance and payroll)
3. Begin US visa process in parallel
4. When visa approves, transition them to your US entity

Not only can you hire candidates immediately, but you’ll also benefit from mitigated compliance risks. EOR platforms like Deel handle local labor law, tax withholding, and benefits on your behalf. The EOR also assumes legal employer responsibilities, reducing your compliance exposure.

For companies hiring their first international employees or those needing to relocate talent quickly, the EOR model typically provides the fastest, lowest-risk approach.

5. Streamline candidate selection and onboarding processes

Quick hiring requires efficient processes from first contact to first day.

Start by creating a clear hiring funnel:

1. Screening: Use AI-powered tools to filter resumes by skills, experience, and visa eligibility
2. Assessment: Conduct async skills tests and work samples
3. Interviews: Use video platforms with automated scheduling across time zones
4. References: Check in parallel, not sequentially
5. Offer: Move fast when you find the right person

When the time comes to onboard your new employee, make sure they’re ready to hit the ground running.

Start onboarding before they arrive:

• Provide company orientation and system access during visa processing
• Send IT equipment to their current location so they can start immediately
• Assign a buddy or mentor for questions and cultural integration
• Collect I-9 verification, tax forms, and benefits enrollment digitally

6. Ensure compliance with US immigration and employment laws

Fast hiring must align with US law. Noncompliance creates massive risk.

Immigration violations can result in fines up to $25,000 per violation, debarment from visa programs, and even criminal penalties.

Critical compliance areas

Immigration

• Proper visa classification and work authorization
• Timely Labor Condition Applications for H-1B workers
• Maintaining required documentation and public access files
• Tracking visa expiration dates (start renewals 6+ months early)

Employment

• Form I-9 verification within three days of hire
• Equal Employment Opportunity laws (no discrimination based on national origin)
• Fair Labor Standards Act compliance for wages and hours
• State-specific employment laws where the employee works

Background checks

• Fair Credit Reporting Act requirements
• International background check limitations
• Ban-the-box laws in certain jurisdictions

Data privacy

• Protection of personal information
• Cross-border data transfer compliance (GDPR for European candidates)
• Record retention requirements

Deel automates compliance monitoring with built-in checks, deadline alerts, and real-time regulatory updates across 150+ countries.

7. Use technology to automate payroll, benefits, and compliance

Global hiring platforms handle payroll, benefits, and compliance automatically. This speeds up hiring and relocation of employees by crossing these tasks off your list.

Deel offers the following:

Automated payroll processing

• Multi-currency payment capabilities
• Automatic tax calculation and withholding for federal, state, and local jurisdictions
• Direct deposit or international wire transfer options
• Integration with time tracking and expense management systems

Tax compliance

• Tax equalization to prevent double taxation
• Automatic calculation in both home and US jurisdictions
• Gross-up compensation as needed

Benefits administration

• Health insurance enrollment and management
• 401(k) contributions
• Equity compensation tracking for stock options and RSUs
• Leave management compliant with US requirements

Compliance reporting

• Automated W-2s, 1099s, and other tax forms
• Immigration compliance tracking and deadline alerts
• Audit trails for all payroll and benefits transactions
• Real-time reporting on global workforce costs and headcount

Accelerate your US hiring with Deel

Relocating international talent doesn’t have to take six months.

With the right visa pathway, immigration expertise, and technology, you can bring exceptional candidates to the US in 2-4 months—and have them working productively even sooner through Employer of Record solutions.

Deel handles everything, including immigration support, payroll, and compliance automation, in one platform. We’ve helped 20,000+ companies relocate talent to 150+ countries.

See how Deel can speed up your international hiring. Book a free consultation today to get started.