Work Authorization
Work authorization allows non-citizens to be employed in the U.S. This is essential for maintaining a robust and diverse economy because it enables workers with various backgrounds and skills to contribute to the economy. We advocate on behalf of those who seek employment authorization here and work to shape policy that makes the process easier to navigate.
New Data: U.S. Welcomes High-Skilled Workers, but Path to Permanent Residence Is Growing More Uncertain
Record Backlogs, Visa Shortages, and Increasing Scrutiny Are Straining the Employment-Based Immigration System WASHINGTON, D.C., August 18 — The United States continues to rely on high-skilled workers from around the world to stay globally competitive in key industries including technology, engineering, and health care. However, new data… Read More
From Petition to Permanent Residence: A Decade of USCIS Filing, Processing, and Backlog Trends
New analysis of USCIS data finds record I-140 backlogs, rising denial rates, growing visa wait times, and longer processing delays across the employment-based green card system. Read More
Legal Groups File Emergency Motion to Stop ICE from Jailing Immigrant Teens in Adult Detention
Washington, D.C, October 4 — Advocacy groups the American Immigration Council and the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) filed an emergency motion on October 4, seeking to enforce a 2021 court ruling (in the Garcia Ramirez v. ICE case) that prevents ICE from illegally locking… Read More
The Council and NIP File FOIA on How USCIS’ Alien Smuggling Determinations Impact Approval of Immigration Benefits
This FOIA request seeks records and data from USCIS about how the agency determines whether a migrant smuggled another person into the United States. Read More
CHNV Parole Won’t Last Forever – But There Are Options for Its Beneficiaries to Stay in the US
In the last two years, nearly 500,000 immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela have arrived in the United States to live and work here legally. They have come under a program known as “CHNV,” named for the nationalities of its beneficiaries. The CHNV program allows people in the… Read More
Judge Grants Texas’ Request to Keep Families Apart, At Least For Now
A mere three days after 16 Republican-led states sued the Biden administration over its “Keeping Families Together” parole process, a federal judge in Texas handed the plaintiffs a temporary “administrative stay,” ordering the federal government to stop granting any applications under the new process while the… Read More
Over 3,360 Texans Attend Houston’s Largest-Ever Citizenship Ceremony
As the “Citizenship Capital” of the United States, Harris County, Houston hosted its largest-ever oath ceremony to naturalize thousands of new U.S. citizens. Read More
Amid Deadly Heat, Migrant Farm Workers are Keeping Americans Fed
New data analysis by the American Immigration Council found that migrant farm workers are playing a key role in feeding Americans, even as they are increasingly vulnerable to extreme heat. Read More
The Biden Administration’s Parole-In-Place Announcement
President Biden announced a new “parole-in-place” program for undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens. What does it mean, and who will benefit? Read More
Biden Expands Immigration Protections to Undocumented Spouses and Streamlines Employment-Based Visas for DACA Recipients
On June 18, the Biden administration announced policy changes that will provide immigration relief to thousands of deeply-rooted immigrants in the United States. Read More
America's story is an immigrant story.
