High Skilled Labor
Unpacking the Federal STEM Initiatives and Immigrants’ Role in the US Workforce
Demand for workers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) continues to grow in the United States. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the country will need about one million more workers for new STEM jobs between 2020 and 2030. Meanwhile, immigrants are playing an… Read More
U.S. House Moves Immigration Reform in Bill Aimed at Increasing American Competitiveness and Helping Economy
The U.S. House of Representatives passed an economic competitiveness bill focused on advancing the United States’ innovation and global competitiveness, which also proposes reforms to U.S. immigration law to help attract and retain immigrant talent. Read More
Biden Administration Actions to Attract ‘International STEM Talent’ and Increase Global Competition
The Biden administration recently announced four actions intended to improve immigration “pathways” for noncitizens in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. However, these changes are constrained by the delays at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and congressional limits on immigrant visa numbers. These actions include: Early Career STEM… Read More
Declining Immigration Is Leaving US Jobs Unfilled
The labor shortages currently afflicting many sectors of the U.S. economy are being aggravated by the arrival of fewer and fewer workers from abroad. Although immigration has been slowing since 2016, the biggest declines have occurred since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. According to economists… Read More
Biden’s Plan to Attract Foreign STEM Talent Recognizes Immigration’s Importance in the Global Economy
The Biden administration announced new efforts to modernize parts of our immigration system, and remove barriers to legal immigration. DHS will add 22 new fields of study in the STEM Optional Practical Training program through the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, and will implement a series of additional changes to allow foreign students, scholars, and researchers to come to the United States and make meaningful contributions to America’s scholarly, research and development, and innovation communities. Read More
Changing Cut Off Dates Leave India EB-3 Applicants in an Immigration Limbo
Annual limits on immigrant visa numbers, combined with processing delays and wasted numbers, mean even longer waits for people to become U.S. permanent residents. In November, the “cut off” date for visa eligibility retrogressed (moved backward in time) for people born in India who are in the employment-based (EB) third… Read More
U.S. Employers Settle Lawsuit Challenging USCIS’ Unlawful Denial of H-1B Petitions Filed by American Businesses
The federal district court in the Northern District of California approved a settlement in a class action lawsuit challenging USCIS' pattern and practice of arbitrarily denying H-1B petitions for market research analyst positions filed by businesses in the United States. Read More
Class Action Settlement Gives Second Chance to Qualifying US Employers for H-1B Petition Approval
A recent class action settlement is expected to result in U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approving more market research analyst H-1B petitions. The lawsuit was filed by four U.S. employers whose H-1B petitions had been denied when USCIS determined that market research analysts were not a “specialty occupation”… Read More
Lawsuits Challenge Change to H-1B Lottery Selection That Would Hurt Small Businesses, Start-ups
Businesses and industry organizations are among those pushing back against a rule that would change eligibility for filing an H-1B petition. The new rule would require the H-1B lottery selection to be conducted by salary level. A range of industries—from health care to higher education—that employ U.S. and H-1B workers… Read More
Ban on J-1 Exchange and Other Employment-Based Visas Set to Expire
A ban blocking certain employment-based visas implemented and extended by former President Trump is set to expire on March 31. The ban has likely prevented hundreds of thousands of people from participating in the American economy. In June 2020, the Trump administration… Read More
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