Jer Win Chuah
Through this article, Jer Win Chuah and Irene Sanchez explore how immigration has transformed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. They emphasize how immigration has shifted from being an administrative back-office function to a strategic priority for businesses, highlighting its significance in ensuring that the right talent is in the right places. Chuah and Sanchez point out the importance of technology and talent as key drivers of growth for both governments and businesses.
The COVID-19 pandemic was perhaps the biggest mass disruption of cross-border mobility in human civilization. Never before had the world’s population been restricted in their movement so universally. Somewhat ironically, it is precisely the fact that mobility was more accessible than ever before that contributed to the scale of the outbreak and resulting restrictions in movement. The ubiquity of the internet and our hyper-connectedness meant that news spread just as fast, but it also meant that many people could work remotely. Many sectors of the economy could still function, albeit not at 100 percent.
Immigration, specifically, became a significant focus as governments sought to control the spread of the virus. The complexity and volatility of immigration regulations surged to unprecedented levels, with many new and often onerous steps and requirements being introduced and changed regularly. For many businesses, immigration was no longer just an administrative back-office function but a strategic priority to ensure that the right people could be where they needed to be.
With the pandemic officially behind us following the declaration from the World Health Organization (WHO) in May 2023, many governments have been reassessing their immigration policies and there has been a notable shift from the more protectionist approach during the pandemic to a more balanced approach to attract and retain talents in critical sectors that can provide economic growth.
Immigration has evolved from an administrative back-office function to a strategic priority, ensuring that the right people could be where they were needed most.
Besides a general relaxation of the more stringent pandemic-era regulations, the recent introductions of special long-term visa schemes for top talent, such as the Overseas Networks & Expertise (ONE) Pass in Singapore, Premium Visa Programme (PVIP) in Malaysia and Long-Term Resident (LTR) Visa in Thailand, as well as revamp of pathways to permanent residency in Australia are all indicative of the new approach.
Even with this shift, immigration continues to remain in the spotlight as a divisive topic within the political discourse in many countries. In addition, the pandemic accelerated digitalization, and many governments and businesses have looked to transition to an online and hybrid model, a trend that continues to this day.
In line with the digitalization trend and the pandemic has provided a fertile proving ground, many professionals now seek to work remotely, even in a different country than their employer. Many countries in East and Southeast Asia, such as Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, have introduced “digital nomad visas” that allow foreign nationals to work remotely for a limited period if they can meet the conditions, including proof of income and insurance. Other countries, such as the Philippines, have also shown an interest in implementing the same.
Governments today focus on technology and talent as key growth drivers, trying to sow the seeds for the right mix of both. In the same vein, businesses that can best leverage technology and talent, which may include talent unavailable locally, would likely be the ones to come out ahead.
