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
Caller Times Opinion: Why Congress shouldn’t cut legal immigration
Leticia Chavez represents everything that’s good about the Christus Health System. She cares deeply for her patients, and consistently validates their dignity as she compassionately tends to them in our intensive care unit (ICU). Leticia is uniquely empathetic. Like many of our patients, and tens of thousands of South Texas… Read More
Fewer Foreign Doctors Could Spell Disaster for America’s Most Underserved Communities
The United States has long been the country of choice for international physicians seeking a graduate medical education. But for the second year in a row, the number of foreign doctors who applied to graduate residency programs in the United States has declined. This has triggered concern that the… Read More
The News-Gazette: Champaign Community Coalition gets first look at report on immigrant population
At Wednesday’s immigration-focused meeting of the city’s Community Coalition, attendees were encouraged to learn more about Champaign County’s 1-in-10 foreign-born residents. A preview of a report on the county’s immigrant population was presented at the meeting. The full report, due out in May, was created by the University YMCA’s New… Read More
H-1B Cap Has Been Reached in First Week for Sixth Consecutive Year, USCIS Announces
Demonstrating a critical demand for educated foreign workers in the United States, the annual H-1B cap has been reached within 5 business days. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services began accepting H-1B petitions on April 2, and on April 6, USCIS announced that it had… Read More
Multilingual Immigrant Uses Her Skills to Advise Corpus Christi Business Community
Growing up under a dictatorial regime in Panama, Lorena Parada-Valdes longed to live in a democratic country. In 1979, she had her chance. That year, she was one of just four Panamanian college students to receive a merit-based scholarship to study in the United States. After graduating from Bates… Read More
Indian Native Finds Success in America, Gives Back to Adoptive Home of Corpus Christi
Indian native Kamlesh Bhikha grew up in an entrepreneurial family. His grandfather was a sugarcane and cotton farmer and his father manufactured diamonds, selling the gems he’d fashioned from rough stones. Bhikha also aspired to be his own boss. “The harder you work, the more you reap,’” he says. “And… Read More
Allowing Spouses of H-1B’s to Work Makes America More Competitive
As part of the April 2017 “Buy American and Hire American” executive order, the Trump administration announced that it intends to revoke the employment eligibility of the spouses of foreign workers with H-1B visas. These changes, if implemented, could have distressing effects on many of these workers, their… 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
The Invisible Wall That President Trump Has Already Built
Legal immigration and the number of foreigners visiting the United States has taken a serious hit within the last year, as the Trump administration makes changes to policies and procedures without any Congressional action or approval. These actions have already had a disturbing, cumulative effect as the administration begins to… Read More
Pioneering Latina Aviator Tells the Stories of Other Latinos
A child of Mexican immigrants, Graciela Tiscareño-Sato grew up in small, north Colorado towns dominated by meatpacking plants. Her mother worked on the assembly line, her father in high-end men’s clothing stores as a tailor. Together they raised five children. It was stable, honest work, says Tiscareño-Sato, but she aspired… Read More
America's story is an immigrant story.