Business & the Workforce

Government Takes Surprising Position to Preserve H-4 Work Permits – For Now
A long-running lawsuit over a rule allowing certain spouses of highly educated H-1B workers to work in the United States took an interesting twist. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which has threatened to take away work authorization for this group of people since the start of the… Read More

As Coronavirus Fatalities Rise, Trump Sends Immigrant Meatpackers Back to Work
The coronavirus presents a clear and immediate danger to America’s food supply. Meatpacking plants in particular have taken a huge hit. To mitigate the loss of production, President Trump signed an executive order on April 28 to ensure that meatpacking plants “continue operations uninterrupted to the maximum extent possible.”… Read More

USCIS Consistently Denies H-1B Petitions. This Lawsuit Argues It’s Misinterpreting the Law.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has been denying many H-1B petitions by misinterpreting the law. On April 16, 2020, the American Immigration Council and partners filed a nationwide class action lawsuit challenging the agency’s pattern of unlawfully denying H-1B petitions for market research analysts. The plaintiffs—who are suing… Read More

Coronavirus Travel Restrictions Leave Some J-1 Exchange Visitors Stranded
Individuals participating in the J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program were faced with a difficult choice in the hours after President Trump issued travel restrictions to Europe: leave their program in the United States or risk getting stuck until the coronavirus was contained. From then on, the clock was ticking for… Read More

Shortage of Farmworkers Threatens Americans’ Food Supply During the Coronavirus
The U.S. agricultural industry depends on seasonal guest workers to produce the food Americans eat. Since 1986, the H-2A visa program has allowed employers to fill labor shortages with temporary and seasonal workers from other countries. The Trump administration recently classified agricultural… Read More

What You Need to Know About Public Charge and the Coronavirus
Immigrants living in the United States are eligible for unemployment benefits. But as the health and economic impacts of the coronavirus spread across the country, many are reportedly afraid to file for unemployment and other government benefits. Much of this fear stems from the Trump administration’s… 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
Make a contribution
Make a direct impact on the lives of immigrants.
