Immigration is a complex, dynamic, and increasingly critical aspect of global business in the 21st century. With multinational organisations regularly transferring employees across borders, and more individuals seeking to invest and start businesses abroad, it is imperative to understand the avenues and barriers that exist to facilitate timely and efficient migration.

Unlike many other areas of law, immigration policy requires governments to look both inward (taking into account domestic concerns and aspirations, as well as outward) considering how they wish to be perceived, and received, by other nations. Moreover, countries must attempt to simultaneously anticipate future labour needs, while remaining mindful of historical trends and precedent. With the ebb and flow of political policy often following electoral tides, individuals and businesses can feel left adrift in a sea of changing rules and shifting social currents. Consequently, navigating these unpredictable, often bewildering waters is challenging at the best of times.

With this in mind, the Business Immigration Global Guide provides succinct, accessible overviews for each jurisdiction’s immigration system and focuses on work-related routes. The new edition covers 21 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Cyprus, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, the UK, and the US. Although jurisdictions differ dramatically, each chapter is structured using a common framework, enabling readers quickly to locate information and easily make cross-jurisdictional comparisons.

Chapters cover a broad spectrum of information to provide a coherent snapshot of each jurisdiction, ranging from relevant governmental entities, sources of law, and available routes, to conflicts of law, settlement, and citizenship. Additionally, each chapter provides useful lists of jurisdiction-specific resources, such as governmental and non-governmental agencies, departments, organisations, and websites.

Remaining up-to-date is an inevitable challenge. For this reason, we included a forward-looking section toward the end of each chapter detailing the present climate and any anticipated future legislation. While we would always advise consulting a qualified legal specialist, these sections should arm readers with the knowledge to intelligently approach potential issues and anticipate relevant questions to ask.

I would like to thank all of the contributing authors for their time and effort in making this an outstanding and comprehensive book. These include: Lara Herlemann, Daniela Lima, Jacqueline Bart, Jacob Blacklock, Edward Lehman, Celia Pourgoura, Stephane Coulaux, Gunther Mävers, Eugene Chow, Polly Leung, Rahul Batra, Ofir Buium, Marco Mazzeschi, Joram Moyal, Romina Vassallo, Jean-Philippe Chetcuti, Ruth Busuttil, Iván Andrés Rojas Aranda, William Easun, Jelle Kroes, Antonio Arenas, Ueli Sommer, Philippe Nordmann, Maria Celebi, Matthew Meyer and Murty Gollakota.

Finally, I would like to thank Louise Woodhouse, my PA, and Matthew Meyer, a consultant, who have both greatly assisted me with the new edition of this book.