Visas
How a Government Shutdown Likely Affects Immigration Agencies
The government’s fiscal year ends today, and without legislation authorizing spending to continue, whether for the full fiscal year or even a few weeks, many federal offices and services will be shuttered starting tomorrow. Unfortunately, the chances the United States government will avoid a shutdown are low. The Senate has tabled the House-approved spending bill, which defunds the Affordable Care Act, and sent it back to the House, but it is unlikely that a consensus will be found before the midnight deadline. This means that beginning Tuesday, an estimated 800,000 to 1 million federal employees will be furloughed and government offices and national parks will close. Details of the impact of the shutdown are emerging and the situation is fluid, but based on what we do know and what happened the last time the federal government shut down in 1996, here is what likely will happen: Read More
College Leaders Know Immigration Reform Will Help Their Students and the Country
The U.S. has long been a destination for students around the world. They come to attend the nation’s colleges and universities, and many wish to stay to pursue job opportunities and make their lives here, but our immigration system throws up barriers at every step of the way. Foreign students add billions of dollars to the U.S. economy each year, and those who remain are more likely to start businesses and contribute to innovation than their American counterparts. Right now, as the economy struggles back to life, it’s hard to imagine letting such opportunities go to waste. Growing frustration with this dilemma is leading more and more college presidents, professors, and higher education administrators across the country to declare their support for improving the nation’s immigration policies. Read More
Our Immigration System Must Encourage Foreign Entrepreneurs to Invest in the U.S.
Immigrants started 33 percent of U.S. venture-backed companies between 2006 and 2012 that went public, according to a new report from the National Venture Capital Association. The report, however, also noted that there is no reliable immigration program for foreign entrepreneurs, who must surmount enormous legal difficulties in order to come here to create businesses and drive innovation and job growth. Read More
Forging Consensus on Visa Program Critical to Crafting Effective Policy
A proposal being considered in the House revives the debate around the number of visas that would be allocated to less skilled workers, also known as “W” visas. In particular, Representatives Ted Poe of Texas and Raul Labrador of Idaho are working on an immigration bill that could double the number of visas of less skilled workers that the Senate settled on. Although the increased number could help address the labor shortage in some industries, this proposal would potentially cause a fracture in the consensus achieved between business and labor leaders who negotiated the levels that were included in S. 744. Ultimately, what is critical to success of a program depends on having the right players at the table ensuring both private and public interests are protected. Read More
Immigration Reform Fattens State Economies, Too
“Should the United States be pro-immigrant?” asked Tax Watchdog Grover Norquist. “That’s like asking whether McDonald’s should make hamburgers. It’s made the United States work for several hundred years. It’s what’s made us different, what’s made us more successful,” said Norquist during a recent call summarizing a new report from Regional Economic Models, Inc. (REMI) on the economics of immigration reform. Read More
How the Immigration Reform Bill Could Help Undocumented Farmworkers and Growers
Approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants could become eligible for legal status under S. 744, the immigration reform bill the Senate is considering, including millions of undocumented farmworkers. The importance of finding a way to create a legal workforce within the agriculture industry is critical, as undocumented farmworkers make up an estimated 53 percent of agriculture workers. Read More
How the Senate Bill Seeks to Deter Future Waves of Unauthorized Immigration
The Senate Judiciary Committee continues to consider amendments to Title II of the “Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act’’ (S.744) today. For many, Title II is the bill’s core as it deals with the legalization of the undocumented population already living here and lays out the rules concerning future immigration, among other issues. Read More
Day 4 of Senate Immigration Mark-up Goes Late into Night
Monday, the Senate Judiciary Committee began its fourth day—and likely last week—of the immigration reform bill’s mark-up. After spending most of the day finishing the Title 3 (interior enforcement) amendments, the senators began on the last part of the bill, Title 2 (legalization), which includes the path to citizenship. They considered 50 amendments and approved 30 of them; five were withdrawn. Read More
Day Two of Senate Immigration Mark-Up Continues With Temporary Employment Visas
On the second day of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s mark-up of S. 744, the “Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act,” the senators tackled most of the amendments to Title IV after finishing debate on a few border security amendments. The fourth section addresses the majority of non-immigrant temporary visas including those for high and less- skilled immigrant workers, entrepreneurship and innovation programs, as well as a range of miscellaneous visitor visas. Read More
The Important Role of Immigrants in America’s Innovation Economy
This week, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation weighed in on immigration reform with a hearing on the role of immigrants in America’s innovation economy. Remarks from Sens. Rockefeller (D-WV) and Thune (R-SD) noted the contributions of immigrant innovators and entrepreneurs. Immigrants in the United States were named as inventors or co-inventors on 25.6 percent of international patent applications filed from the U.S. in 2006. Furthermore, temporary workers and permanent residents made contributions to over half of the international patents filed by several large, multi-national companies. Temporary and permanent foreign-born workers represent at least 24 percent of the nation’s scientists and 47 percent of engineers with doctoral degrees. Read More
All gifts are matched dollar for dollar
No one should face the immigration system alone
