High Skilled Labor

The Rules for Immigrants Wanting to Work in the United States on a Permanent Basis
This fact sheet defines the various components of the permanent, employment-based immigration system—and then describes how those components relate to each other in the application processes for each of the five preference categories. Read More

The H-1B Registration Period Has Ended. How Did the New System Handle It?
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) completed its first registration period on March 20 for H-1B petitions. The H-1B visa category allows highly educated foreign workers to temporarily work for employers in the United States. This was the first year USCIS used a new registration process… Read More

Immigrant Health Care Workers Play a Vital Role in the United States’ COVID-19 Response
As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds, the U.S. health care system will likely be pushed to its limits. During this time, it is important to remember the role that immigrant health care workers play alongside their native-born colleagues on the front lines of this fight—and how strongly our health care capacity… Read More

As Trump Slashes All Immigration, Other Countries Open Their Doors
The Trump administration has worked to close the door on all types of immigrants—including people trying to come to the United States on visas. Consequently, the United States is experiencing a severe drop in legal immigration. Other nations like Canada are picking up the slack and reaping the benefits. Between… Read More

H-1B Registration Is Almost Here: What We Do and Don’t Know About USCIS’ New Process
For the first time, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is requiring U.S. employers to register in order to have a chance to file an H-1B petition that is subject to the annual limits. Registration begins March 1. The H-1B visa category allows highly educated foreign workers to temporarily work… Read More

What We Know About USCIS’ New H-1B Cap Registration System
The new process for petitioning for highly educated H-1B workers will officially begin on March 1, 2020. For the first time, a U.S. employer who wants to file a petition that is subject to the annual limits must first register with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The agency then… Read More

USCIS Announces Major Change to H-1B ‘Cap’ Filing With Electronic Registration
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced that U.S. employers will have to pay a $10 fee and register to have a chance at filing an H-1B petition subject to the statutory “cap” of 65,000 workers per fiscal year (FY). The… Read More

Comments Opposing Removal of 30-Day Processing Provision of Asylum Application-Related Form I-765 Employment Authorization Applications
Under current U.S. immigration law, the immigration service must make a decision on work permit applications filed by asylum seekers within 30 days of their application. The Trump administration proposed a regulation that would eliminate this deadline, creating immediate and harmful effects on asylum seekers and their families as well… Read More

USCIS’ Denial Rates for H-1B Petitions Have Quadrupled
The Trump administration, acting through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), is disrupting the process by which U.S. employers obtain work authorization for highly skilled foreign professionals. According to a report from the National Foundation for American Policy, these changes are affecting how often H-1B petitions… Read More

The Artificial Intelligence Industry Thrives on a Global Workforce
At a time when skills related to the burgeoning field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) are in very short supply, the U.S. government is making it harder to recruit highly trained professionals from abroad. According to a report from Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology, U.S. immigration policies… Read More
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