Google’s ‘Immigration Fixer’

by apichert | April 18, 2009 at 05:30 pm

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The title “immigration specialist” grabbed my attention in this article in the Business, Innovation, Technology and Society (Bits) section of the online New York Times. Christine Doyle does not, as I first expected, specialize in statistics on immigrant migration for Google Maps or in how many immigrants use her company’s search engine. She is in fact the very thing her title proclaims—Doyle specializes in immigrants, specifically those who work for Google. She helps them sort out tedious paperwork and steps in to save the day when crises occur.

Google is one of the most “friendly” corporations in America right now and it makes sense that they have people devoted to helping their employees deal with immigration problems. It would be interesting to hear more of the stories that Doyle hears every day.

It is Monday, Sept. 8. For Ms. Doyle, whose title is “immigration specialist,” it’s a typical day. That means an urgent crisis is around the corner -– literally -– but Ms. Doyle just doesn’t know what it is yet.

Google hired Ms. Doyle in November 2007 to guide employees through byzantine immigration rules. Her job is an exercise in banal administrative work like processing visa forms, punctuated by crises and the counseling of frustrated workers.

She and three colleagues specializing in employee location call themselves the “global mobility team.” Outside their office are eight, five-foot-high locked filing cabinets containing files of foreign workers on whose behalf they have worked.