Business and the Workforce

Business and the Workforce

Immigrants not only bring diverse skills and perspectives to the U.S. workforce, they often fill employment gaps in crucial fields. We advocate for expanded work visas and related programs so our labor force can continue to benefit from immigrant workers and remain competitive in the global economy

Job Development Expert Says Immigrants ‘Absolutely Critical’ to Economic Vitality

Job Development Expert Says Immigrants ‘Absolutely Critical’ to Economic Vitality

“Immigration is critically important,” says Dr. Ioanna Morfessis, an economic development expert who has helped create 200,000 new jobs as the founder of three high-profile American economic development organizations: the Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore; the Greater Phoenix Economic Council; and the Montgomery County, Maryland, Department of Economic Development. “Immigration… Read More

Change to National Interest Waiver Standard Gives More Entrepreneurs a Path to Permanent Residence

Change to National Interest Waiver Standard Gives More Entrepreneurs a Path to Permanent Residence

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Administrative Appeals Office (AAO), recently issued Matter of Dhanasar, which changes the standard that USCIS officers must follow when deciding whether to approve a “national interest waiver” for an immigrant visa petition. This waiver is granted when the foreign national’s work… Read More

Five Things to Look for on Immigration in the 115th Congress

Five Things to Look for on Immigration in the 115th Congress

When President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in later this month, for the first time in a decade, the Republican Party will have control of the House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, and the Presidency. In theory, this control allows the Congress to pass and help implement many of the incoming… Read More

Department of Justice Issues Final Rule About Unfair Immigration-Related Employment Practices

Department of Justice Issues Final Rule About Unfair Immigration-Related Employment Practices

The U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil Rights Division recently issued a final rule, effective January 18, to update regulations that the agency uses to enforce employment-related anti-discrimination provisions that Congress included in the “unfair immigration-related employment practices” section of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).  The agency maintains… Read More

Immigrants Vital to Help Tech Startups Become Multibillion Dollar Companies Here in the U.S.

Immigrants Vital to Help Tech Startups Become Multibillion Dollar Companies Here in the U.S.

From the moment he was offered a job at a tech startup in San Mateo, Calif. in 2013, Brazilian-born software engineer Rocir Santiago, worried that U.S. immigration policy would create unnecessary obstacles for his family and career. “The visa process is complex and uncertain. It discourages people from moving to… Read More

He Won the Lottery: One Congolese Man's Incredible Diversity Visa Story

He Won the Lottery: One Congolese Man’s Incredible Diversity Visa Story

Bozi Kiekie grew up in a poor farming community in the war-torn Democratic Republic of The Congo, helping his family work the land while also selling bread, gasoline, and fish in order to scrape together enough money to pay for his studies. “I struggled, as everyone in the country did,”… Read More

Immigrant Potential Is an Expensive Thing to Waste

Immigrant Potential Is an Expensive Thing to Waste

High-skilled new Americans often face obstacles in obtaining jobs appropriate to their skill level. There are many reasons for this. Those who are educated outside the U.S. may fail to have their foreign training recognized by U.S. employers and licensing bureaus. Some lack proficiency in English and race and ethnicity… Read More

New Study Shows the Multiple Forms of Skilled Immigrant Labor

New Study Shows the Multiple Forms of Skilled Immigrant Labor

It is well known that immigrants make enormous contributions to the U.S. economy as workers, consumers, taxpayers, and entrepreneurs. As part of the labor force, immigrants are employed in a wide range of industries but tend to be concentrated in some occupations at both ends of the occupational spectrum. At… Read More

Administration’s Proposal Unlikely to Encourage Foreign Entrepreneurs to Choose the United States

Administration’s Proposal Unlikely to Encourage Foreign Entrepreneurs to Choose the United States

The U.S. has long been the beneficiary of the new ideas and energy generated by immigrants, yet today’s U.S. immigration system does a poor job of accommodating foreign entrepreneurs who want to turn their ideas into a viable business. Recognizing the competitive disadvantage to the U.S., the Department of Homeland… Read More

Immigration a Boon to U.S. Economy Finds National Panel of Experts

Immigration a Boon to U.S. Economy Finds National Panel of Experts

mmigrants and their descendants make valuable contributions to the U.S. economy, according to a new report just released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine entitled, The Economic and Fiscal Consequences of Immigration. The exhaustive report is written by a nationally recognized panel of experts. It takes… Read More

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