Business and the Workforce

Recent Features

  • Special Report

Attracting Talent and Strengthening Global Competitiveness

Learn how institutions, employers, or talented researchers and other highly skilled individuals in the STEM fields can take advantage of the Early Career STEM Research Initiative.

All Business and the Workforce Content

  • Fact Sheet

The Growing Demand for Healthcare Workers in Texas

Last modified: 
September 21, 2022
Publication Date: 
September 21, 2022
To address significant shortages of physicians and other healthcare workers, Texas must establish policies that recruit and retain local talent and give employment possibilities for immigrant...
  • Fact Sheet

The H-1B Visa Program and Its Impact on the U.S. Economy

Last modified: 
July 15, 2022
Publication Date: 
July 15, 2022
This fact sheet provides an overview of the H-1B visa category and petition process, addresses the myths perpetuated about the H-1B visa category, and highlights the key contributions H-1B workers...
Workers on a factory line
  • Special Report

Labor Market Series

Last modified: 
July 13, 2022
Publication Date: 
May 7, 2022
This year’s Labor Market Series will explore a variety of issues at the intersection of the U.S. economy and immigration.
  • Fact Sheet

The Economic Contributions of Immigrants in Texas

Last modified: 
July 11, 2022
Publication Date: 
July 11, 2022

New research from the American Immigration Council, The Economic Contributions of Immigrants in Texas, highlights the crucial role of immigrants in the state’s workforce across the manufacturing,...

  • Fact Sheet

Tending to America's Food Supply

Last modified: 
July 5, 2022
Publication Date: 
July 5, 2022
This fact sheet analyzes the essential role of immigrant workers in America's food production, particularly in the meat and dairy industries
  • Fact Sheet

Foreign-born STEM Workers in the United States

Last modified: 
June 13, 2022
Publication Date: 
June 14, 2022
Foreign-born workers make up a growing share of the country’s STEM workforce and are critical to the country’s innovation, and STEM workers are responsible for many of the cutting-edge ideas and...
  • Special Report

New American Fortune 500 in 2022

Last modified: 
June 8, 2022
Publication Date: 
June 8, 2022
Some of the largest and most recognizable American companies were founded by immigrants or the children of immigrants.
  • Special Report

Attracting Talent and Strengthening Global Competitiveness

Publication Date: 
June 14, 2022
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...
  • Fact Sheet

The Economic Benefits of the Empire State Licensing Act

Publication Date: 
May 16, 2022

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...

  • Fact Sheet

Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021

Publication Date: 
August 27, 2021
This fact sheet provides an overview about the legalization program through which certain undocumented farmworkers in the United States could earn legal status.
  • Litigation

Employment Authorization Documents Adjudication Delays

Faced with increasing reports from immigration lawyers of Employment Authorization Documents adjudication delays, the Council and several partners filed this lawsuit against USCIS and DHS.
  • Litigation

Challenging USCIS for Delays in Renewal of Employment Authorizations

The Council and partners filed a nationwide class action lawsuit to ensure timely renewal of work authorizations documents for asylum seekers.
  • Litigation

Challenging USCIS’ Arbitrary Rejections of H-1B Petitions Filed After October 1

This lawsuit challenges USCIS' arbitrarily rejected H-1B petitions filed after October 1 simply because the H-1B worker’s intended employment start date—naturally—also fell after October 1.
  • Comments

Comments Filed To Address Substantive Flaws in Proposed H-1B Regulatory Changes

December 9, 2020

The American Immigration Council and the American Immigration Lawyers Association filed comments to address the substantive flaws in the Department of...

  • Amicus Briefs

Council Submits Amicus Brief Challenging Agency Failure to Undergo Notice and Comment Rulemaking

November 11, 2020
The Council filed an amicus brief supporting plaintiffs’ preliminary injunction and summary judgment motion that the government did not satisfy the stringent requirements necessary to sidestep notice and comment rulemaking.
  • Letters

Letter Opposing the Department of Labor’s High-Skilled Wage Rule

November 10, 2020
The letter explains why the Interim Final Rule does not protect U.S. workers and directly interferes with an employer’s ability to obtain the H-1B workers it needs and outlines six reasons why the Interim Final Rule should be rescinded.
  • Advocacy

Comment on DHS Proposed Rule to Drastically Expand the Definition and Collection of Biometrics

October 13, 2020
The American Immigration Council, the Immigration Defense Clinic at Colorado Law, and the American Immigration Lawyers Association, submitted a comment in opposition to the Department of Homeland Security proposed rule on the "Collection and Use of Biometrics by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services."
  • Advocacy

Summary of Proposed Changes to Student and Exchange Visitor Admissions Process by DHS

October 6, 2020

This document provides a summary of the Department of Homeland Security's September 25, 2020, Proposed Rule, "...

  • Litigation

USCIS’ Unlawful Denial of H-1B Petitions Spurs Class Action Lawsuit

This nationwide class action lawsuit challenges U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ pattern and practice of arbitrarily denying H-1B nonimmigrant employment-based petitions for market research analyst positions filed by United States businesses.
  • Advocacy

Regulatory Comment on Establishing a System for Secretarial Review Over Cases Before the Department of Labor Board of Alien Labor Certification Appeals

April 7, 2020
These comments were submitted on the regulatory changes in the Department of Labor’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Direct Final Rule, published in the Federal Register on March 6, 2020 by the American Immigration Council and the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
  • Practice Advisories

Whom to Sue and Whom to Serve in Immigration-Related District Court Litigation

May 28, 2020
This Practice Advisory addresses who is, or who may be, the proper respondent-defendant and recipient for service of process in immigration-related litigation in district court.
  • Practice Advisories

Immigration Lawsuits and the APA: The Basics of a District Court Action

October 4, 2021
This Practice Advisory discusses the primary issues involved in a suit brought under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) to challenge an unlawful agency action.
  • Practice Advisories

Litigation for Business Immigration Practitioners

June 10, 2021
This Practice Advisory has information practitioners need to assess whether filing suit in federal court is the right option for challenging an employment-based petition denial.
  • Practice Advisories

Court Decision Ensures Timely Adjudication of Employment Applications Filed by Initial Asylum Applicants

March 1, 2021
This Frequently Asked Questions document addresses the status of the case and explains options for first time asylum seekers applying for employment authorization.
  • Practice Advisories

Practice Tip: The Government Answered a Complaint Alleging Administrative Procedure Act Violations – Now What?

November 20, 2020
This practice tip responds to a frequent question from attorneys new to federal court litigation who filed a lawsuit claiming the government violated the Administrative Procedure Act.
  • Practice Advisories

Requesting Attorneys' Fees Under the Equal Access to Justice Act

August 14, 2020
In the immigration context, Equal Access to Justice Act fees generally are available in petitions for review, mandamus actions, Administrative Procedure Act suits, habeas corpus actions, and naturalization actions.
  • Practice Advisories

New Rule Eliminating 30 Day Processing Deadline for Adjudication of Employment Applications Filed by Initial Asylum Applicants

June 29, 2020

On June 22, 2020, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a rule that removes the 30 day processing deadline for the adjudication of employment authorization document (EAD)...

  • Practice Advisories

Agency Delay Litigation: Opposing a Motion to Dismiss

October 4, 2019
This practice advisory summarizes the most common grounds raised by the government in motions to dismiss federal court agency adjudication delay lawsuits and outlines arguments that can be made in response.
  • Practice Advisories

Failure to Appeal to the AAO: Does it Bar all Federal Court Review of the Case?

September 26, 2016
This Practice Advisory discusses whether and how a person can get review of a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services decision in federal court if he or she did not appeal the decision to the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO). The Advisory addresses the Supreme Court case Darby v. Cisneros, holding that a plaintiff is not required to exhaust non-mandatory administrative remedies in certain situations, and how it may apply to cases involving appeals to the AAO.
  • Practice Advisories

Practice Tip: Mandamus May Get Results When Nothing Else Works

September 14, 2016

This Practice Tip demystifies mandamus by explaining how and when to ask a court for this remedy when a client has been waiting too long for USCIS to make a decision.

  • Blog

Want to Hire an Immigrant or Refugee? Chambers of Commerce Aim to Make That Easier

September 30, 2022

With job openings at nearly twice as high as the pre-pandemic norm, employers across the country are continuing to struggle to fill open positions and meet workforce needs. But they’re finding a...

  • Blog

Unpacking the Federal STEM Initiatives and Immigrants’ Role in the US Workforce

June 28, 2022

Demand for workers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) continues to grow in the United States. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the country will...

  • Blog

State Department Denies Substantial Percentage of Employer-Sponsored Immigrant Visas

June 24, 2022

Surprising data recently revealed that consular officers denied applicants for employer-sponsored immigrant visas at a far higher rate than U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)...

  • Blog

New Fortune 500 List Shows America’s Economic Success Relies on Immigrants

June 9, 2022

America’s economic success is built on the world’s best and brightest coming to our shores bringing ingenuity, creativity, and determination. From Wall Street to Main Street, businesses started by...

  • Blog

Immigrants Will Be Vital in America’s Fastest Growing Jobs Through 2030

May 5, 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted global supply chains and kept people from going back to work at a time when the demand for goods and labor is high. This has left America contending with a...

  • Blog

Congress Ends Months of Uncertainty for Immigrant Investors in Regional Centers

March 25, 2022

For more than 8 months, noncitizens with approved immigrant petitions for investments in regional centers have been in limbo. Congress has now ended that limbo, by reauthorizing the EB-5 regional...

  • Blog

Corrupt US Employers and Smugglers Are Exploiting Migrant Teens for Profit

February 9, 2022

A skyrocketing number of migrant teens from Central America are finding their way into the undocumented workforce of the United States. They are doing rigorous, grueling work often meant for...

  • Blog

The House Passes the America COMPETES Act, Including Immigration Reforms to Help the U.S. Economy

February 4, 2022

The House of Representatives passed an economic competitiveness bill on February 4 that includes several immigration provisions. The bill is called the ‘‘America Creating Opportunities for...

  • Blog

Biden Administration Actions to Attract ‘International STEM Talent’ and Increase Global Competition

January 26, 2022

The Biden administration recently announced four actions intended to improve immigration “pathways” for noncitizens in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. However,...

  • Blog

Declining Immigration Is Leaving US Jobs Unfilled

January 25, 2022

The labor shortages currently afflicting many sectors of the U.S. economy are being aggravated by the arrival of fewer and fewer workers from abroad. Although immigration has been slowing since...

  • Press Release

New Research Reveals Role of Immigrants in America's Meat and Dairy Industries

July 20, 2022
The American Immigration Council released a report that examines the impact and contributions of immigrant workers in the United States’ meat and dairy industries.
  • Press Release

New American Fortune 500 Report Reveals Impact of Immigrant Entrepreneurship

June 9, 2022
The American Immigration Council released today a report that examines the role of immigrant entrepreneurs and their children in America’s economic success story. The report, “New American Fortune 500 in 2022: The Largest American Companies and Their Immigrant Roots,” found that 43.8%, or 219 companies, in this year’s Fortune 500 list were founded by immigrants or their children.
  • Press Release

New Data Reveals How Immigration Can Help Meet Labor Demands and Move the US Economy Forward

May 4, 2022
New data released today by the American Immigration Council examines how immigration can help meet labor demands and steer the U.S. economy back on track. The report, “Amid Rising Inflation, Immigrant Workers Help Ease Labor Shortages,” analyzes which occupations are expected to increase between 2020 and 2030.
  • Press Release

New round of grants to support implementation of comprehensive welcoming plans in U.S. communities

April 1, 2022
National nonprofits American Immigration Council and Welcoming America announce a new level of support through Implementation Technical Assistance and seed grant funding for six communities as part of Round IV of the Gateways for Growth Challenge (G4G)
  • Press Release

U.S. House Moves Immigration Reform in Bill Aimed at Increasing American Competitiveness and Helping Economy

February 4, 2022
The U.S. House of Representatives passed an economic competitiveness bill focused on advancing the United States’ innovation and global competitiveness, which also proposes reforms to U.S. immigration law to help attract and retain immigrant talent.
  • Press Release

Biden’s Plan to Attract Foreign STEM Talent Recognizes Immigration’s Importance in the Global Economy

January 21, 2022
The Biden administration announced new efforts to modernize parts of our immigration system, and remove barriers to legal immigration. DHS will add 22 new fields of study in the STEM Optional Practical Training program through the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, and will implement a series of additional changes to allow foreign students, scholars, and researchers to come to the United States and make meaningful contributions to America’s scholarly, research and development, and innovation communities.
  • Press Release

U.S. Workers Sue USCIS for Unlawful Delays in Renewal of Employment Authorizations

November 11, 2021
Five workers in the United States filed a nationwide class action lawsuit today challenging unlawful log-jam and extreme delays at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that have resulted in the government’s failure to process the work authorization renewals for asylum seekers.
  • Press Release

U.S. Employers Settle Lawsuit Challenging USCIS’ Unlawful Denial of H-1B Petitions Filed by American Businesses

October 28, 2021
The federal district court in the Northern District of California approved a settlement in a class action lawsuit challenging USCIS' pattern and practice of arbitrarily denying H-1B petitions for market research analyst positions filed by businesses in the United States.
  • Press Release

U.S. Businesses Sue USCIS for Rejecting H-1B Petitions for not Backdating the Employment Start Date

March 12, 2021
A federal lawsuit filed on behalf of seven U.S. businesses challenges USCIS arbitrary rejection of H-1B nonimmigrant employment-based petitions filed after October 1 solely because the H-1B worker’s intended employment start date falls after October 1.
  • Press Release

Lawsuit Now Covers Hundreds of H-1B Petitions for Market Research Analyst Positions Filed by American Businesses

November 18, 2020
A federal judge has granted class certification in MadKudu Inc., et al. v. USCIS, et al., a lawsuit challenging U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ pattern and practice of arbitrarily denying H-1B nonimmigrant employment-based petitions for market research analyst positions filed by businesses in the United States.
  • Fact Sheet

The Growing Demand for Healthcare Workers in Texas

Last modified: 
September 21, 2022
Publication Date: 
September 21, 2022
To address significant shortages of physicians and other healthcare workers, Texas must establish policies that recruit and retain local talent and give employment possibilities for immigrant...
  • Litigation

Employment Authorization Documents Adjudication Delays

Faced with increasing reports from immigration lawyers of Employment Authorization Documents adjudication delays, the Council and several partners filed this lawsuit against USCIS and DHS.
  • Practice Advisories

Whom to Sue and Whom to Serve in Immigration-Related District Court Litigation

May 28, 2020
This Practice Advisory addresses who is, or who may be, the proper respondent-defendant and recipient for service of process in immigration-related litigation in district court.
  • Press Release

New Research Reveals Role of Immigrants in America's Meat and Dairy Industries

July 20, 2022
The American Immigration Council released a report that examines the impact and contributions of immigrant workers in the United States’ meat and dairy industries.
  • Fact Sheet

The H-1B Visa Program and Its Impact on the U.S. Economy

Last modified: 
July 15, 2022
Publication Date: 
July 15, 2022
This fact sheet provides an overview of the H-1B visa category and petition process, addresses the myths perpetuated about the H-1B visa category, and highlights the key contributions H-1B workers...
Workers on a factory line
  • Special Report

Labor Market Series

Last modified: 
July 13, 2022
Publication Date: 
May 7, 2022
This year’s Labor Market Series will explore a variety of issues at the intersection of the U.S. economy and immigration.
  • Fact Sheet

The Economic Contributions of Immigrants in Texas

Last modified: 
July 11, 2022
Publication Date: 
July 11, 2022

New research from the American Immigration Council, The Economic Contributions of Immigrants in Texas, highlights the crucial role of immigrants in the state’s workforce across the manufacturing,...

  • Fact Sheet

Tending to America's Food Supply

Last modified: 
July 5, 2022
Publication Date: 
July 5, 2022
This fact sheet analyzes the essential role of immigrant workers in America's food production, particularly in the meat and dairy industries
  • Fact Sheet

Foreign-born STEM Workers in the United States

Last modified: 
June 13, 2022
Publication Date: 
June 14, 2022
Foreign-born workers make up a growing share of the country’s STEM workforce and are critical to the country’s innovation, and STEM workers are responsible for many of the cutting-edge ideas and...
  • Press Release

New American Fortune 500 Report Reveals Impact of Immigrant Entrepreneurship

June 9, 2022
The American Immigration Council released today a report that examines the role of immigrant entrepreneurs and their children in America’s economic success story. The report, “New American Fortune 500 in 2022: The Largest American Companies and Their Immigrant Roots,” found that 43.8%, or 219 companies, in this year’s Fortune 500 list were founded by immigrants or their children.

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