Business & the Workforce
Department of State Pauses Visa Interview for J, F, and M visitors
On Tuesday, May 27, the international exchange and education community was dealt yet another blow when the Trump administration temporarily paused scheduling new F, M, and J visa appointments.??Politico?reported?that a cable sent to all embassies and consular posts by Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for… Read More
H-1B Modernization Rule Provides Some Comfort But Also Raises Concerns
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently issued its long-awaited H-1B modernization rule. The final rule takes effect on January 17, 2025. USCIS describes several of the regulations as codifying policies the agency has followed for years. The agency also emphasized that several of the regulations were enacted to… Read More
Businesses and Workers Get Win with Permanent Work Permit Extension Rule
On December 13, the Biden administration issued a permanent rule that automatically extends the validity of certain work permits by up to 540 days if they are timely renewed. The American Immigration Council and many other organizations and businesses made this a key ask to the outgoing administration… Read More
Giving Thanks to the Hands That Feed America: Immigrant Farmworkers
With the approach of Thanksgiving, when many families will be celebrating with food and gratitude, it’s worth taking a moment to reflect on the people who help make Thanksgiving celebrations possible. Many of the fruits, vegetables, and other staples of our Thanksgiving celebrations are harvested by immigrant farm workers. In… Read More
Seasonal Immigrant Workers Are in High Demand. America’s H-2B Visa Program Isn’t Keeping Up.
Foreign workers have long provided critical support to American businesses in the busy seasons—filling temporary, seasonal jobs when domestic workers were not available. This support—almost always of manual labor—is possible due to the H-2 visa program, which Congress created in 1952 with the aim of “alleviating labor shortages …… Read More
Collective Action Protections for H-2A Workers Face Uphill Legal Battles
In April, the Department of Labor (DOL) published an expansive regulation aimed at increasing protections for the growing number of temporary agricultural workers entering the United States on H-2A nonimmigrant visas. A key component of the regulation establishes new protections for H-2A workers to engage in collective action to… Read More
Business Leadership on Immigration During an Election Year
At a time when anti-immigrant rhetoric is splashed across the news, it can be easy to get lost in the whirlwind of misplaced fear politicians continue to foster. But this year’s eighth annual Global Talent Chamber Network (GTCN) Convening: Business Leadership on Immigration During an Election Year served as… Read More
Immigrants Are Making Ohio Great. Let’s Talk About That.
20 years ago, Springfield, Ohio, had a problem. Like many communities in the Rust Belt, it seemed like good times were a thing of the past. Once a manufacturing hub, the city had been losing population for decades, with rising unemployment and falling incomes. City leaders set about turning things… Read More
DHS Strengthens Protections for Immigrant Workers
The Biden-Harris administration has taken hundreds of immigration actions since entering office. But one of the administration’s most overlooked reforms is a process to protect immigrant workers while bolstering labor agencies’ ability to hold unscrupulous employers accountable for violations. In January 2023, the administration announced a streamlined process—known colloquially… Read More
Strengthening America’s Workforce of Immigrant STEM Workers by Expanding the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program
The United States faces a critical imperative: keeping some of the brightest minds in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in the country to secure our workforce advantage in these fields and fuel economic growth and global competitiveness. The American Immigration Council, along with five other prominent… Read More
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