Expert Opinion: Oncoming Challenges for Cross-Border Travel. Samantha McKnight, CIBT

With the US Presidential Inauguration now a reality, many of us are now thinking about the potential impacts from the second Trump administration and the transition to come.

Cross border travel and immigration are the bed rock of the travel industry and in particular hospitality. As a result, it will be interesting to see, how the campaign pledges materialise and the potential impact on the corporate immigration landscape. There are bound to be changes, some for the better and others, a little more questionable. But what are the main components of Trump’s immigration plan? The election pledges fell into a few key areas:

• Securing the border
• Enforcement of immigration laws
• Offering Green Cards to US University graduates
• Deportation of unauthorised immigrants
• Stricter vetting of foreign migrants
• Ending sanctuary cities
• Merit based immigration

But what impact will these things have on you and your businesses? Stronger enforcement leads to greater scrutiny and therefore delays in e-verification. A great example of a potential impact is with the near-instantaneous approvals of the likes of ESTAs. If this now takes days, will there be an expectation of flexibility in booking terms as delays impact travel plans?

Stricter limits or reforms to the H-1B visa program allowing US firms to hire foreign workers will have an impact on relocations and potentially therefore longer stays. We’re expecting to see reductions applied to certain industries such as agriculture, construction and many other manual labour positions. It’s worth looking at the industries that make up your client base and considering diversifying where possible.

Any organisation involved in supporting graduate programs will also be interested in the tighter enforcement of student visas.

In summary, we’re once again in a state of flux. As policies unfold, businesses will need to adapt quickly to ensure they remain competitive, while navigating a more restrictive and enforcement-heavy immigration environment. It will be interesting to see which of these predicted changes become a reality and if my crystal ball was working!