State Partners with BDV to Help Global Workers Move to Jersey

Choose New Jersey signed a partnership deal with BDV Solutions to help international workers relocate to the Garden State, the latest move in Trenton’s push to attract global talent as New Jersey faces worker shortages across key industries.

The agreement puts BDV, a corporate relocation company, on the state’s roster of preferred service providers for companies looking to move employees to New Jersey from overseas. BDV will handle visa processing, housing searches, school enrollment and other logistics that can make or break international relocations.

“We’re competing with every other state for the best talent, and that includes workers from around the world,” said Wesley Mathews, CEO of Choose New Jersey, the public-private partnership that markets the state to businesses. “This partnership removes barriers that have cost us good people and good companies.”

The timing reflects New Jersey’s tight labor market, particularly in tech, finance and healthcare sectors where companies routinely recruit internationally. State unemployment sits at 3.8 percent, below the national average, while job openings in specialized fields often go unfilled for months.

BDV Solutions, headquartered in Jersey City, already handles corporate moves for Fortune 500 companies including several with major New Jersey operations. The firm’s services range from temporary housing and tax consultation to cultural orientation programs for relocated families.

“The complexity of international moves often overwhelms HR departments,” said Maria Rodriguez, BDV’s managing director. “Companies want to focus on business, not navigating immigration law and finding housing in Morristown or Princeton.”

The partnership comes as Politics & Government leaders across the region compete for mobile workers and companies. New York expanded its global talent visa program last year, while Pennsylvania launched tax incentives for international relocations to Philadelphia.

Choose New Jersey estimates the state loses roughly 200 potential international hires annually due to relocation complications. Those workers often end up in competing markets like Austin, Boston or Research Triangle Park in North Carolina.

“Every worker who goes to North Carolina instead of New Jersey because we couldn’t figure out their housing situation is a loss,” Mathews said. “That’s tax revenue, that’s economic activity, that’s innovation we’re giving away.”

The state’s approach builds on recruitment efforts that have intensified since the pandemic reshaped where people work and live. Remote work policies made geography less important for some jobs, forcing states to compete on quality of life, tax policy and business climate.

New Jersey markets its proximity to New York City and Philadelphia, its transit infrastructure and its concentration of pharmaceutical and technology companies. But international workers often struggle with practical concerns like finding schools, understanding property taxes and navigating the state’s complex municipal structure.

BDV’s services address those pain points through what the company calls “soft landing” packages. New arrivals get temporary housing, orientation sessions on local government and schools, and assistance with everything from driver’s licenses to finding doctors who speak their language.

“We had a family from Germany spend three months in a hotel because they couldn’t figure out New Jersey’s rental market,” Rodriguez said. “The company was paying $8,000 a month in hotel costs while this engineer looked for a two-bedroom apartment in Morris County. That’s the kind of situation we prevent.”

The partnership doesn’t cost taxpayers money directly. BDV gets paid by the companies relocating workers, while Choose New Jersey benefits from easier recruitment pitches to businesses considering New Jersey expansions.

Choose New Jersey has helped attract more than 400 companies to the state since 2010, including international firms like Bayer, Panasonic and Samsung. The organization estimates those companies brought 75,000 jobs and $8 billion in economic activity.

But competition has intensified as other states created similar recruitment programs. Florida launched Enterprise Florida in 2011. Texas expanded its economic development partnerships with corporate service providers. Even smaller states like Tennessee and North Carolina built sophisticated business attraction operations.

“Twenty years ago, companies called us,” Mathews said. “Now we’re fighting for every deal, and the states that make it easiest usually win.”

The BDV partnership targets a specific competitive disadvantage: New Jersey’s reputation for bureaucratic complexity. International workers often hear horror stories about property taxes, municipal governments and regulatory requirements that vary by county or even township.

“Perception matters as much as reality,” Rodriguez said. “If a company thinks it’s going to be a nightmare to move people here, they’ll look elsewhere first.”

The agreement takes effect immediately, with BDV handling its first Choose New Jersey referrals next month. The partnership includes performance metrics tied to successful relocations and worker retention rates after two years.

Choose New Jersey plans similar agreements with other service providers, including tax consulting firms and real estate companies that specialize in corporate relocations. The goal is creating what Mathews calls a “concierge approach” to business attraction.

“We’re not just selling New Jersey anymore,” he said. “We’re delivering New Jersey. There’s a difference, and companies notice the difference.”

The partnership reflects broader changes in how states compete for economic development. Traditional incentives like tax breaks remain important, but companies increasingly value operational support, workforce quality and what economists call “ecosystem advantages” — the concentration of related industries, suppliers and talent.

New Jersey’s challenge is leveraging those advantages while overcoming perceptions about cost and complexity. The state ranks among the most expensive for business operations, but also offers access to the country’s largest consumer markets and a highly educated workforce.

“We’re never going to be the cheapest option,” Mathews said. “But we can be the smartest option, and partnerships like this help make that case.”