Business and the Workforce

What role do immigrants play in American business and the American workforce? Immigrants work in a range of skilled positions in the U.S. and start businesses that boost the American economy. Learn more about immigrant entrepreneurship and workforce participation.

Recent Features

Guides & FAQs
Practical Guides and FAQs for the Federal STEM Initiatives

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.

READ MORE

All Business and the Workforce Content

  • Special Report

Tracking the Biden Agenda on Legal Immigration in the First 100 Days

Publication Date: 
April 29, 2021
This report analyzes the most significant changes to the legal immigration system made by the Biden administration during its first 100 days in office, and makes recommendations to foster a fair and...
  • Fact Sheet

The Exchange Visitor Program and J-1 Visas

Publication Date: 
June 18, 2020
The Exchange Visitor Program (EVP) initially brought scholars to the United States to teach or conduct research. Today, there are 14 categories of programs through which EVP participants can teach,...
  • Fact Sheet

Workers with Temporary Protected Status in Key Industries and States

Publication Date: 
January 9, 2019
This fact sheet estimates the likely numbers of workers with TPS from these three countries, broken down by the states in which they reside and the industries in which they are employed.
  • Special Report

The Immigrant Success Story

Publication Date: 
June 11, 2018
Some confusion exists regarding the economic aspects of family-based immigration. To help unpack those aspects, this report focuses on one of them—namely, the earnings of family-based immigrants.
  • Fact Sheet

The H-4 Visa Classification

Publication Date: 
March 26, 2018
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...
  • Special Report

Wages and High-Skilled Immigration

Publication Date: 
December 14, 2017
This wage calculation is at the heart of the employment-based immigration system Congress devised to protect U.S. workers from unfair competition, while refraining from micromanaging the hiring...
  • Fact Sheet

Capitalizing on the Economic Potential of Foreign Entrepreneurs

Publication Date: 
September 13, 2017
This fact sheet describes the legal avenues in the United States available to promising entrepreneurs, as well as some of the barriers they face securing immigration status through these paths.
  • Fact Sheet

The RAISE Act

Publication Date: 
August 11, 2017
The Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment Act (RAISE Act) or S. 354 would mark a sweeping overhaul of the U.S. immigration system. It would significantly reduce levels of legal...
  • Fact Sheet

The Impact of Immigrant Women on America’s Labor Force

Publication Date: 
March 8, 2017
There are nearly 12 million immigrant (foreign-born) women workers in the United States today, comprising just over 7 percent of the total labor force.
  • Special Report

Defining Skill: The Many Forms of Skilled Immigrant Labor

Publication Date: 
November 18, 2016
From construction workers to gardeners, many low-wage immigrant workers are in fact quite skilled.
  • Blog

Immigrant Workers Who Report Labor Violations Will Be Protected Under This New Policy

January 19, 2023

Immigrant workers who are the victims of labor exploitation are often faced with a difficult choice. They can either stay quiet out of fear of deportation or come forward to report coercive...

  • Blog

USCIS’ 2022 Progress Report Shows Promise, But Agency Still Has a Long Way to Go

December 15, 2022

From the displacement following the Russian invasion of Ukraine to migrant bussing across the United States, the immigration field has faced unique challenges this year while continuing to manage...

  • Blog

Hiring Foreign Seasonal Workers Doesn’t Hurt American Workers, New Study Finds

November 3, 2022

Do fewer U.S. workers get hired when employers also hire temporary seasonal labor from abroad? A new study of firms applying for H-2B visas suggests that the answer is no. The H-2B visa allows...

  • 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...

  • Press Release

USCIS “Do-Over” of Visa Bulletin Undercuts Administration’s Goal of Visa Modernization

September 29, 2015

Washington D.C.

  • Press Release

Executive Director Benjamin Johnson Testifies Before Senate on High-Skilled Immigration

March 17, 2015

Washington D.C. - Today, the American Immigration Council's Executive Director, Benjamin Johnson, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about the integral role immigration plays in

  • Press Release

Immigration Council Urges U.S. Department of Labor to Ensure Fairness

September 17, 2014

Washington, D.C.

  • Press Release

American Immigration Council Files BALCA Brief Challenging Unfair DOL Process

November 8, 2013

Yesterday, the American Immigration Council, in collaboration with AILA, filed an amicus brief

  • Press Release

LAC Wins Release of H-1B Fraud Documents for AILA

November 19, 2012

For Immediate Release

LAC Wins Release of H-1B Fraud Documents for AILA

  • Press Release

Immigrants in America: More Skilled and Educated Than Ever Before

June 9, 2011

Washington D.C. - Today, the Brookings Institution released a new report,

  • Press Release

Federal Court Decision Protects H-1B Employees from Wrongful Arrest

April 13, 2011

Washington D.C. - A recent ruling from a federal judge in

  • Blog

On International Women’s Day, We Celebrate the Important Contributions of Immigrant Women in the American Workforce

March 8, 2024

Since its conception in 1977, International Women’s Day has evolved into a global celebration highlighting women’s achievements and the challenges they face. The holiday’s origins can be traced...

  • Advocacy

Testifying on the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement “Presidential Power to Secure the Border”

Publication Date: 
March 7, 2024
The American Immigration Council appeared before Congress to discuss the need for Congress to overhaul the asylum system.
  • Blog

DHS Changes H-1B Registration Process to Give Noncitizens an Equal Chance of Selection

February 16, 2024

Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently issued a final rule that changes H-1B registration selection and makes other changes related to the...

  • Practice Advisories

Litigation for Business Immigration Practitioners

Publication Date: 
January 8, 2024
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.
  • Blog

Labor Shortage Can Be Fixed by Letting Asylum Seekers Get Work Permits Sooner, Business Leaders Say

November 20, 2023

When asylum seekers come to the United States, they want to work—but an outdated immigration statute is making that more difficult than it needs to be. After filing an asylum application, asylum...

  • Blog

Employment-Based Immigration to Get an Important Update with Biden’s Artificial Intelligence Executive Order

November 17, 2023

Written by Steven Hubbard, Senior Data Scientist and Leslie Dellon, Senior Attorney (Business Immigration) The White House’s recent executive order on artificial intelligence marks an important...

  • Blog

USCIS Proposes Significant Changes to the H-1B Program

November 3, 2023

The H-1B program may undergo significant changes as early as October 1, 2024. The Department of Homeland Security U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently published a 94-page...

  • Blog

Global Talent Chamber Network Convening Discusses How Immigration Is a Solution to Workforce Challenges

November 2, 2023

As the national workforce shortage persists and is further exacerbated by the nation’s large aging population moving into retirement, businesses across the country are seeking solutions to address...

  • Fact Sheet

New Americans in Greater Salem

Publication Date: 
October 10, 2023
New research from the American Immigration Council shows that immigrants in Greater Salem paid over $200 million in taxes and held over $536 million in spending power in 2019. The new report, New...
  • Advocacy

Testifying on the Positive Economic Contributions of Immigrants in the U.S. and the American Immigrant Workforce

Publication Date: 
September 20, 2023
The American Immigration Council appeared before Congress to address the economic contributions of immigrants in the U.S. and the American economic system.

Most Read

  • Publications
  • Blog Posts
  • Past:
  • Trending