Business and the Workforce
Immigrants not only bring diverse skills and perspectives to the U.S. workforce, they often fill employment gaps in crucial fields. We advocate for expanded work visas and related programs so our labor force can continue to benefit from immigrant workers and remain competitive in the global economy
Young Advocate: Without Newcomers, Economy Would Not Survive
After his father’s cancer returned in 2016, Phillip Germain, then 18 and a college student, took care of him. It was a pivotal moment for the young man. His father’s care was contingent upon affordable healthcare through the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, and Social Security. In short: public policy decisions… Read More
New USCIS Policy Creates Obstacles for Employers and Foreign Workers
In a major reversal of longstanding policy, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has created new and unnecessary hurdles for employers and foreign employees temporarily working in the United States. In the past, USCIS followed a streamlined approach when employers filed petition extensions. Now, USCIS officers will be encouraged to… Read More
The 21st Century University — and Economy — Depends on International Students
“What people don’t understand is that education is a business right now — especially international education,” says Karin Lee, chair of the Mississippi Association of International Educators and Study Mississippi Consortium. “Nationally, international students account for just 5 percent of the students enrolled in American colleges and universities, and yet… Read More
Smithsonian Second Opinion: What Does It Mean To Be An American Today?
One of the defining metaphors of the United States has been that our country is a “melting pot” of immigrants from around the globe. But this powerful ideal also coexists alongside an anti-immigration sentiment that has persisted throughout our nation’s history. Many new populations have come to America over the… Read More
UK Immigrant Brings Diverse Voices, and a New Aladdin, to Hollywood
When Walt Disney Pictures released the animated feature “Aladdin” in 1992, the movie was criticized for its stereotypical portrayal of Arab culture. Now, to ensure that its upcoming live-action version is authentic and nuanced, Disney has turned to an immigrant entrepreneur named Marya Bangee, the owner of SILA Consulting. The name of the company, which… Read More
Immigrants and Refugees Are Among America’s 2017 Nobel Prize Winners
The Nobel Prizes, awarded annually in recognition of extraordinary achievement in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace, have once again been won by Americans who came here as immigrants and refugees. Three out of the five Nobel Prize categories included immigrants or refugees. Immigrants have a history of… Read More
Attacks on Exchange Visitor Program Hurts American Businesses
Among the laundry list of proposed restrictions and other attacks on immigration, the Trump administration is reportedly considering cuts to the Exchange Visitor Program (EVP) and therefore limiting access to its corresponding J-1 visa. The long-standing program and non-immigrant visa allows American schools, businesses, and communities to host foreign… Read More
Once Undocumented, Mexican Salon Owner Wants to Prove Immigrants Make a Difference
Mexican immigrant Estela Nava has owned a hair salon on the South Side of Chicago for 30 years. Every day she tends to her clients’ needs for haircuts, color treatments, and perms. For Nava, who came to Chicago as an undocumented immigrant at age 17, owning her own business means… Read More
Motion for Preliminary Injunction Filed to Compel DHS to Implement International Entrepreneur Rule
a motion for a preliminary injunction in federal court in Washington, D.C. to compel the Department of Homeland Security to implement the International Entrepreneur Rule pending final judgment of the suit brought by NVCA and the other plaintiffs. Read More
After Years Without Her Own Son, Peruvian Designer Calls on Washington to Pass the Dream Act
When Flor Cabello was starting her interior-decoration company in Westchester County, New York, she heard the word “no” a lot. Friends said her Peruvian accent and heritage would be off-putting to many of the area’s U.S.-born upper-middle-class residents — that is, her target clientele. Bank after bank refused to give… Read More
All gifts are matched dollar for dollar
No one should face the immigration system alone
