Business & the Workforce
How Trump’s COVID-19 Immigration Ban Has Impacted Family-Based Immigration
The Trump administration is successfully using the COVID-19 pandemic as a pretext to alter the U.S. system of legal immigration. New government data makes clear that these changes will significantly increase employment-based immigration at the expense of people in the family categories—and without any involvement by Congress. On March 20,… Read More
Federal Court Halts Massive USCIS Fee Increases for Immigration Applications
A federal court halted a new rule that would have increased fees for immigration applications on September 29. The court explained that the rule, announced by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in August, is likely unlawful. Before the court issued its ruling, USCIS planned to implement the rule… Read More
The Demand for U.S. Visas Will Drop for Years to Come in the Aftermath of the Pandemic
The Trump administration continues to express belief that the coronavirus “will go away”—but the U.S. State Department does not seem to agree. In a recent memo signed by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the administration highlights a sharp decrease in the demand for U.S. visas due to the COVID-19… Read More
Farmworkers Need Better Support to Survive COVID-19
The dangers to America’s farmworkers—primarily immigrant men from Mexico with temporary H-2A visas—have long persisted under a system that is ripe for abuse. But those risks have only grown since the coronavirus pandemic erupted in the United States this March. A lack of workplace protections, crowded housing, and no… Read More
The Trump Administration Expands Legal Immigration Ban, Using COVID-19 Pandemic as Excuse
The Trump administration has banned foreign nationals on certain employment-based nonimmigrant visas from entering the United States. The new ban begins June 24, at 12:01 am ET. The administration also extended its April 23 ban on the entry of certain immigrants, which would have expired on June 22. These… Read More
Immigrant IT Workers Play Critical Role in the Coronavirus Pandemic’s Virtual Economy
The coronavirus pandemic has radically altered the U.S. workforce. Many people have lost their jobs, while others have had to continue to go to work despite the serious health risks. Some sectors within the U.S. economy, however, have been able to shift toward working remotely. And immigrants working in the information technology sector have once again proven essential throughout this transition. Data compiled by New American Economy highlights… Read More
Presidential Proclamation Bars Certain Students and Researchers From China
President Trump issued a proclamation to prevent certain Chinese nationals from entering the United States using academic student (F) or exchange visitor researcher (J) visas. The proclamation applies to graduate-level or post-graduate students and researchers who have ties to certain entities in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The… Read More
Asian Americans Play Key Role in Fighting Coronavirus, Even as They Suffer Racism Spurred by It
May 31 closes out Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, a time dedicated to recognizing the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States. The term AAPI encompasses all people from the Asian continent and the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia,… Read More
Exchange Visitor Program Faces Uncertainty as US Opens but Embassies Remain Closed
The coronavirus pandemic has affected day-to-day life for everyone, including foreign nationals who planned to participate in the U.S. Department of State’s Exchange Visitor Program. These programs use on-the-job training and are often planned months in advanced. Many large organizations and companies that sponsor and host exchange visitors—who come to… Read More
Essential Workers Are at the Heart of a Diversifying Working-Class America
The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the importance of essential workers in keeping America up and running. First-responders, medical staff, meat packers, and domestic, hospitality, and transportation workers have been feeding, caring for, and moving us forward for years. Read More
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