While both organisations will maintain and grow their respective global immigration practices, PwC says this agreement will give them the ability to come together to provide integrated services to their respective clients to bring a more connected service in the global mobility ecosystem.

The move is in response to changes in cross-border employee mobility, with frequent business travel replacing traditional, long-term assignments and relocations. In addition, the geopolitical landscape makes immigration increasingly challenging. This is creating new compliance challenges for organisations as governments begin to track tax and immigration requirements on a more integrated basis.

Julia Onslow-Cole, PwC UK partner and head of PwC's global immigration practice, said: ‘We are proud of our global immigration practice, which covers more than 170 countries.  Making our respective immigration teams available to clients, particularly in the US, will provide an even deeper level of local insight.

‘The PwC and Fragomen alliance will also facilitate more strategic, global insights on the impact of Government policies on both corporate immigration and mobility.’

Fragomen is a global immigration firm with more than 50 offices in over 25 countries, including 16 offices across the US. The firm provides immigration assistance into more than 170 countries worldwide and employs more than 3,800 immigration professionals and support staff, including more than 550 lawyers and equivalent professionals.

Austin Fragomen, Jr., chairman of the executive committee for Fragomen, said: ‘Clients seeking aggregated legal, tax and mobility services will get best-in-class services by working with Fragomen and PwC. Our immigration legal expertise, coupled with PwC’s professional services offerings, will give clients an unparalleled opportunity to benefit from a unique collaboration that will help them better manage mobility and mitigate risk in a fast-changing compliance environment.’

Report by Pat Sweet