Finding the right specialist is only part of the challenge when an energy project crosses borders.

An accepted offer does not mean someone is ready to start work. Immigration requirements, employment arrangements, payroll, tax, travel and local compliance can all influence when international talent can actually be deployed.

 

Brunel helps energy companies manage these complexities through our Global Mobility Solutions, bringing together the support needed to move specialist talent across borders and throughout an international assignment.

 

That planning needs to start well before someone is due on site.

 

Our State of Energy 2026 research found that 84% of respondents see mobility as very important or critical. While 56% said cross-border hiring has become easier, 60% still identified visa delays as a barrier and 44% identified local labour laws.

The message for project leaders is clear: access to international talent does not automatically translate into project-ready capacity.

Cross-border hiring is improving, but barriers remain

International recruitment can give energy businesses access to skills beyond their domestic talent market. But successfully recruiting someone and successfully mobilising them are two different challenges.

 

The European Labour Authority's 2025 EURES report provides wider context, highlighting how labour shortages can coexist with available workers elsewhere, while administrative requirements, language and qualification recognition can limit cross-border matching.

 

For employers, identifying the right people is only the beginning. Turning international talent into available project capacity requires a clear mobilisation plan.

 

Bringing global mobility expertise in early can help identify immigration, employment and deployment requirements before they become a potential constraint on project timelines.

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Plan backwards from the date work needs to begin

For a specialist, arriving in-country and being ready to work on site may be different milestones.
Instead of starting with travel dates, mobilisation should work backwards from when that person needs to be operational.

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Consider:

  • Assignment requirements: role, work location, duration and target start date.
    Right to work: immigration route, work authorisation and processing requirements.
  • Employment arrangements: employment model, local labour law, payroll and tax.
  • Deployment: travel, accommodation, onboarding, site access and required medicals or certifications.
  • Ongoing support: rotations, assignment changes, extensions and eventual offboarding.
     

This reflects the mobilisation framework in State of Energy 2026, which runs from defining scope and right to work through employment, deployment and ongoing mobility support.

 

 Brunel can support these interconnected requirements, helping clients build a mobilisation approach around their wider workforce and project plans.

Why in-country expertise matters

Global mobility does not stop once someone arrives.


Our research found that 84% of respondents highly value in-country expertise. 


A longer assignment, different location or revised rotation may mean employment, immigration or logistical arrangements need to be reviewed too. Having local expertise available helps clients manage these changes and maintain support throughout the assignment.


Brunel combines global mobility coordination with in-country support, helping clients connect international workforce planning with the realities of deployment on the ground.
 

Make global mobility part of your project plan

The State of Energy 2026 findings point to the importance of treating mobility as a schedule-critical workstream, rather than an administrative step that begins after someone accepts an assignment.


Brunel's Global Mobility Solutions support international energy assignments through coordinated immigration, employment and payroll arrangements, travel, accommodation and in-country assistance.


Whether you are entering a new market or preparing a specialist team for international deployment, we can help you understand the requirements and plan around your locations, workforce and timelines.

 

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Planning an international energy project?

Tell us where you need people, when you need them and the skills you require.
 

Talk to Brunel early to understand the mobility requirements affecting your workforce plan and get your people ready for deployment. 

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