Recent developments in Venezuela—including renewed diplomatic signals, evolving sanctions policy, and ongoing legal uncertainty around immigration protections—are forcing global mobility leaders to reassess both risk and opportunity.
While headlines suggest potential normalization, the experts interviewed for this article caution that political change does not automatically translate into operational clarity.
“Geopolitical change almost always precedes regulatory change, and employers who wait for formal legislation often react too late because the markets react almost immediately,” says Daniela Lima, SGMS-T, managing director for LATAM at Newland Chase, and chair of WERC’s LATAM Advisory Council.
At the same time, she says, “I don’t believe that companies would take formal actions until there are new regulations, contracts, bilateral agreements, investment rights, and guarantees to their investments. This ultimately impacts the mobility of foreigners into the country.”
The result is a period where movement is possible but certainty is limited.
Diplomatic Signals vs. On-the-Ground Realities
Rita Hernandez, president and founder of PremierDS and WERC board member, describes the current moment as one of ever-changing diplomatic progress and ongoing uncertainty. Recent developments signal shifts in engagement, but conditions on the ground remain mixed and unclear.
She emphasizes that “Mobility leaders must stay alert and flexible because official policy indicators, country conditions, and legal frameworks, including immigration protections, do not always move at the same pace. In this environment, organizations need to have both a Plan A and a Plan B ready.”
Key developments that mobility teams should follow include:
- The arrival of U.S. diplomatic personnel in Caracas and steps toward reopening the U.S. embassy after a long closure reflect progress toward normalized relations.
- Easing of certain economic sanctions and signals of renewed commercial engagement between the U.S. and Venezuela.
- Ongoing vagueness about immigration protections and legal status for Venezuelan nationals, including changes to Temporary Protected Status (TPS) programs in the U.S.
- Reopening of commercial flight routes despite travel advisories remaining in place.
“These developments present a mix of diplomatic normalization, economic opportunities, and continued uncertainty on security and immigration, all of which demand close, ongoing attention from mobility leaders,” Hernandez says.
Risk Expands Before Regulations Change
Both experts emphasize that risk profiles shift before formal policy changes are announced.
Hernandez points to “uncertainty around laws and compliance,” “operational risk” linked to security conditions, and “reputational risk” when operating in politically sensitive countries. She adds that “mobility leaders need to look ahead and prepare for change, not just respond after it happens.”
Lima agrees that the perception of stabilization can create premature movement.
“One of the mistakes is generalizing conditions and assuming that one country is similar to another,” she says. “It is common for companies to initiate early deployments/assignments without knowing how immigration and labor laws may change.”
She also cautions against “mistak[ing] a reduction in risk and perception with legal certainty.”
Employers must consider whether their local legal entity is prepared to sponsor visa applications and whether existing foreign nationals are working under compliant immigration categories.
“If I have irregularities, would this have an impact on the deployment of future foreigners to Venezuela (reputational damage, immigration and employment sanctions for noncompliance, banning)?” Lima asks.
Immigration and Structural Considerations
Ana Gazarian, immigration attorney and CEO of Employee Mobility Solutions—an international mobility firm with more than 35 years of continuous operations and established offices in Venezuela—stresses that Venezuela’s internal legal framework must be evaluated carefully before deployment decisions are made.
“Venezuela has provisions that limit the quota of foreign workers and wages in relation to local workers, and it restricts certain functions from being performed by foreign workers,” she says. “Therefore, advance planning is required if it is necessary to request an extraordinary authorization to hire foreign workers.”
Regulatory environments in Venezuela have historically evolved in cycles, making longitudinal institutional knowledge particularly relevant when evaluating long-term assignments, Gazarian says.
She also highlights double taxation treaties and social security agreements that affect both Venezuelans abroad and foreign nationals entering Venezuela.
“All of these factors must be considered when planning mobility and talent deployment,” Gazarian says. “They benefit both Venezuelans and foreign nationals who work or have worked abroad. These structural elements require coordinated tax, labor, and immigration analysis before assignments are formalized.”
At the same time, she notes the broader migration context: “Contemporary Venezuelan mobility is one of the largest in the world: around 8 million outside the country (2023-2024).”
With political change, she suggests, the conversation may shift from brain drain to what she describes as “brain circulation.”
Immediate Implications for Employers
For companies with Venezuelan nationals abroad, documentation remains a critical concern.
Lima advises employers to assess: “Where are our Venezuelan nationals located and under what status (temporary protection, asylum, work visa)?”
She also emphasizes tracking expiration dates and passport renewals, noting uncertainty around consular services and document issuance.
Gazarian adds that companies must define how returning Venezuelan employees will be classified—“international assignees, local plus, locally hired, or another classification”—and how compensation and benefits will be structured.
“Compensation and benefits need to be evaluated when relocating Venezuelan talent,” she says.
For foreign nationals entering Venezuela, immigration category alignment is critical.
“Accurately identifying immigration categories (business visitor, work authorization, investor visa, among others) based on the nature of the activity and duration of the assignment” is essential, Gazarian says. “This is critical to avoid sanctions, fines, denial of applications, and delays.”
Duty of Care in Volatile Environments
Political stabilization narratives do not eliminate operational risks.
Hernandez recommends using several sources of risk information at the same time, such as official travel warnings, real-time security updates, and local knowledge. She also advises “having clear response plans at multiple levels, including safety training before assignment, emergency evacuation procedures, and plans to support employees if they need to return home.”
Gazarian similarly emphasizes structured preparation.
“Duty of care must be approached with an operational and human-centered focus,” she says, “including pre-travel assessments, emergency contact protocols, comprehensive relocation planning, and psychological support.”
She adds that employers must also consider practical relocation factors such as secure housing, school selection and availability, relocation logistics, and local integration planning, particularly in environments where services and availability may fluctuate and may differ significantly by city.
“Employees traveling with minors must also comply with specific travel authorization requirements depending on the jurisdiction,” Gazarian says.
Lima underscores the importance of proactive compliance. “Do not allow the entry of foreign employees without the proper immigration status,” she says. “Plan renewals with a lot of time in advance.”
Scenario Planning as a Strategic Function
All three agreed that mobility planning can no longer rely on static assumptions.
“The current situation highlights that linear planning approaches are insufficient,” Gazarian says. She recommends scenario-based planning that allows organizations to adjust mobility models in response to regulatory and operational change.
Hernandez explains that mobility programs should plan for three possible paths. “In the best case, conditions stabilize and economic activity grows. In a middle scenario, diplomatic relations remain unclear and legal uncertainty continues. In the worst case, unrest returns or security conditions worsen.”
Lima summarizes the shift more broadly: “Companies … need to plan on the grounds of political volatility.”
A Strategic, Not Reactive, Approach
For mobility leaders, Venezuela represents both a potential reentry opportunity and a compliance test case.
Hernandez says that “strong mobility programs should be based on constant monitoring, planning for different scenarios, and flexible assignment options. This helps companies keep operations running, be compliant, and take care of their employees as conditions keep changing.”