High Skilled Labor

Practical Guides and FAQs for the Federal STEM Initiatives
Recent federal policy changes have opened up new avenues for American businesses of all sizes to connect with talented researchers and other highly-skilled individuals in the STEM fields. The American Immigration Council has created a series of guides and FAQs for a institutions, employers and individuals. Read More

The Economic Benefits of the Empire State Licensing Act
New research from the American Immigration Council, Economic Benefits of the Empire State Licensing: Immigrants in New York State’s Workforce, highlights the crucial role of immigrants and refugees in New York’s workforce, as well as the need to reduce barriers to professional and occupational licenses for all New York residents. Read More

Coalition Letter Calling for Implementation of the Emergency Stopgap USCIS Stabilization Act provisions
The American Immigration Council and 13 other organizations urged USCIS to expand premium processing to ensure the agency remains solvent while efficiently and effectively adjudicating all immigration benefit applications and petitions. Read More

Coalition Effort Advocates for the Inclusion of Visa-Related Provisions in Budget Reconciliation
The Council joined 89 other organizations in a letter calling for Congress to include visa-related provisions in the budget reconciliation. Read More

Statement for the House Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee on “How Outdated U.S. Immigration Policies Push Top Talent to Other Countries”
This written statement submitted by the Council to Congress shares our analysis of the archaic U.S. immigration policies which are making the United States a less attractive destination for highly skilled workers from other countries. Read More

The Impact of COVID-19 on Noncitizens and Across the U.S. Immigration System
This report identifies disruptions throughout the immigration system because of the COVID-19 pandemic and makes recommendations for improvements to the federal government’s response. Read More

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-4 Visa Classification
Temporary workers—such as those in H-1B status—typically can bring their spouses and children with them to the United States in what is called H-4 status. This fact sheet provides an overview of the H-4 visa category. Read More

Foreign-Trained Doctors are Critical to Serving Many U.S. Communities
U.S. immigration policies significantly limit the ability of these doctors to immigrate to and practice in the United States. As policy-makers debate what immigration reforms would best serve the national interest, they should keep in mind that foreign-trained doctors are already taking the lead on providing care to many communities across the United States. Read More

Wages and High-Skilled Immigration
This wage calculation is at the heart of the employment-based immigration system Congress devised to protect U.S. workers from unfair competition, while refraining from micromanaging the hiring decisions of U.S. employers. Read More
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