Business and the Workforce

The immigration laws and regulations provide some avenues to apply for lawful status from within the U.S. or to seek relief from deportation.  The eligibility requirements for these benefits and relief can be stringent, and the immigration agencies often adopt overly restrictive interpretations of the requirements.  Learn about advocacy and litigation that has been and can be undertaken to ensure that noncitizens have a fair chance to apply for the benefits and relief for which they are eligible.  

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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.

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All Business and the Workforce Content

  • Special Report

Building Community and Fueling Growth: The Role of Immigrants in Reviving the Great Lakes Region

Publication Date: 
October 15, 2024
“Building Community and Fueling Growth: The Role of Immigrants in Reviving the Great Lakes Region” was written in partnership with the American Immigration Council (AIC) and is an in-depth analysis...
  • Fact Sheet

The H-1B Visa Program and Its Impact on the U.S. Economy

Publication Date: 
October 8, 2024
This fact sheet provides an overview of the H-1B visa category and petition process, addresses the myths perpetuated about the H-1B visa category, and highlights the key contributions H-1B workers...
  • Special Report

New American Fortune 500 in 2024

Publication Date: 
September 9, 2024
Our report reveals that 46% of America’s largest companies were founded by immigrants or their children, contributing over $8.6 trillion in revenue and employing more than 15 million people globally.
  • 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...
  • Fact Sheet

The Contributions of Temporary Protected Status Holders to the U.S. Economy

Publication Date: 
September 19, 2023

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a program that allows certain individuals from designated countries that are facing severe ...

  • Fact Sheet

New Americans in Allen County

Publication Date: 
September 6, 2023
New research from the American Immigration Council shows that immigrants in Allen County paid over $160 million in taxes and exceeded $496.0 million in spending power in 2019. The new report, New...
A landscape of several tall buildings with a bridge in the foreground
  • Special Report

New American Fortune 500 in 2023

Publication Date: 
August 29, 2023
See our updated web report on the largest American companies and their immigrant roots.
  • Research and Analysis

Coalition Urges Department of Labor to Update Schedule A Occupation List to Meet Current Labor Market Needs

Publication Date: 
June 28, 2023
The American Immigration Council joined a coalition letter to encourage the Department of Labor (DOL) to annually update its Schedule A Group I occupation list to better reflect the conditions facing...
Cover of Refugee Report
  • Special Report

Starting Anew

Publication Date: 
June 20, 2023
A record 100 million people around the globe were forced to flee their homes in 2022, up from 65 million in 2015. Of those displaced last year, 32.5 million were refugees who had to leave their...
  • Special Report

The Growing Demand for Healthcare Workers

Publication Date: 
April 18, 2023
A new research series from the American Immigration Council, The Growing Demand for Healthcare Workers, highlights the crucial role immigrants are playing to help address critical workforce shortages...
  • Litigation

Employment Authorization Documents Adjudication Delays

Faced with increasing reports from immigration lawyers of Employment Authorization Documents adjudication delays, the Council and several partners filed this lawsuit against USCIS and DHS.
  • Litigation

Challenging USCIS for Delays in Renewal of Employment Authorizations

The Council and partners filed a nationwide class action lawsuit to ensure timely renewal of work authorizations documents for asylum seekers.
  • Litigation

Challenging USCIS’ Arbitrary Rejections of H-1B Petitions Filed After October 1

This lawsuit challenges USCIS' arbitrarily rejected H-1B petitions filed after October 1 simply because the H-1B worker’s intended employment start date—naturally—also fell after October 1.
  • Amicus Briefs

Council Submits Amicus Brief Challenging Agency Failure to Undergo Notice and Comment Rulemaking

Publication Date: 
November 11, 2020
The Council filed an amicus brief supporting plaintiffs’ preliminary injunction and summary judgment motion that the government did not satisfy the stringent requirements necessary to sidestep notice and comment rulemaking.
  • Advocacy

Summary of Proposed Changes to Student and Exchange Visitor Admissions Process by DHS

October 6, 2020

This document provides a summary of the Department of Homeland Security's September 25, 2020, Proposed Rule, "...

  • Litigation

USCIS’ Unlawful Denial of H-1B Petitions Spurs Class Action Lawsuit

This nationwide class action lawsuit challenges U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ pattern and practice of arbitrarily denying H-1B nonimmigrant employment-based petitions for market research analyst positions filed by United States businesses.
  • Amicus Briefs

Council Submits Amicus Brief Supporting Reversal of USCIS’ Misinterpretation of the First Regulatory Test for an H-1B Specialty Occupation

Publication Date: 
December 16, 2019
The American Immigration Council filed this brief in support of a U.S. employer’s challenge to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service’s denial of a computer programmer H-1B petition.
  • Advocacy

Statement for the House Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship Hearing “Policy Changes and Processing Delays at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.”

July 16, 2019
The statement highlights the Council’s concerns regarding systemic U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services delays in responding to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.
  • Litigation

More U.S. Businesses Are Challenging USCIS H-1B Petition Denials

In recent years, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has been denying H-1B petitions for jobs that the agency previously approved as being in a specialty occupation. This case is representative.
  • FOIA Litigation

Lawsuit Demands USCIS Comply with FOIA Requests regarding H-1B Adjudications

On behalf of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the American Immigration Council filed a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) challenging U.S. Citizenship and...

  • 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.
  • Practice Advisories

Practice Tip: Opposing a Motion to Dismiss Asserting the Consular Nonreviewability Doctrine in Agency Delay Cases

Publication Date: 
December 16, 2022
Practitioners who challenge delays in visa processing often face a motion to dismiss based on the consular nonreviewability doctrine. This practice tip examines the scope of the doctrine. It provides arguments, with supporting documentation, to oppose common situations that the government claims are final, nonreviewable decisions.
  • Practice Advisories

Whom to Sue and Whom to Serve in Immigration-Related District Court Litigation

Publication Date: 
September 14, 2022
This Practice Advisory addresses who is, or who may be, the proper respondent-defendant and recipient for service of process in immigration-related litigation in district court.
  • Practice Advisories

Immigration Lawsuits and the APA: The Basics of a District Court Action

Publication Date: 
October 4, 2021
This Practice Advisory discusses the primary issues involved in a suit brought under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) to challenge an unlawful agency action.
  • Practice Advisories

Practice Tip: The Government Answered a Complaint Alleging Administrative Procedure Act Violations – Now What?

Publication Date: 
November 20, 2020
This practice tip responds to a frequent question from attorneys new to federal court litigation who filed a lawsuit claiming the government violated the Administrative Procedure Act.
  • Practice Advisories

Requesting Attorneys' Fees Under the Equal Access to Justice Act

Publication Date: 
August 14, 2020
In the immigration context, Equal Access to Justice Act fees generally are available in petitions for review, mandamus actions, Administrative Procedure Act suits, habeas corpus actions, and naturalization actions.
  • Practice Advisories

Failure to Appeal to the AAO: Does it Bar all Federal Court Review of the Case?

Publication Date: 
September 26, 2016
This Practice Advisory discusses whether and how a person can get review of a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services decision in federal court if he or she did not appeal the decision to the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO). The Advisory addresses the Supreme Court case Darby v. Cisneros, holding that a plaintiff is not required to exhaust non-mandatory administrative remedies in certain situations, and how it may apply to cases involving appeals to the AAO.
  • Practice Advisories

Practice Tip: When to Appeal to the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO)

Publication Date: 
July 27, 2016
This Practice Tip analyzes the pros and cons of appealing to the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) following the denial of an employment-based visa petition.
  • Practice Advisories

Practice Tip: Responding to a Request for Evidence

Publication Date: 
May 25, 2016
This Practice Tip explains how practitioners can turn a Request for Evidence (RFE) into an opportunity to strengthen the administrative record through a thoughtful and thorough response.
  • Practice Advisories

Practice Tip: Building the Record for Employment-Based Petitions

Publication Date: 
April 1, 2016
This Practice Tip outlines how you can build a strong administrative record to set the stage for challenging the denial of a client's visa petition in federal court.
  • Blog

Giving Thanks to the Hands That Feed America: Immigrant Farmworkers

November 22, 2024

With the approach of Thanksgiving, when many families will be celebrating with food and gratitude, it’s worth taking a moment to reflect on the people who help make Thanksgiving celebrations...

  • Blog

Seasonal Immigrant Workers Are in High Demand. America’s H-2B Visa Program Isn’t Keeping Up.

November 1, 2024

Foreign workers have long provided critical support to American businesses in the busy seasons—filling temporary, seasonal jobs when domestic workers were not available. This support—almost always...

  • Blog

Collective Action Protections for H-2A Workers Face Uphill Legal Battles

October 25, 2024

In April, the Department of Labor (DOL) published an expansive regulation aimed at increasing protections for the growing number of temporary agricultural workers entering the United States on H-...

  • Blog

Business Leadership on Immigration During an Election Year

October 25, 2024

At a time when anti-immigrant rhetoric is splashed across the news, it can be easy to get lost in the whirlwind of misplaced fear politicians continue to foster. But this year’s eighth annual...

  • Blog

Strengthening America’s Workforce of Immigrant STEM Workers by Expanding the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program

July 26, 2024

The United States faces a critical imperative: keeping some of the brightest minds in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in the country to secure our workforce advantage in these...

  • Blog

Lawsuits Reveal Labor Abuses Faced by Some Migrant Workers on TN Visas

July 25, 2024

Written by Andrea Solis Canto, 2024 Legal Intern Allegations of mistreatment of high-skilled Mexican workers have sparked several important class action lawsuits against large automotive and...

  • Blog

State Department Streamlines Temporary Visas for College-Educated Noncitizen Workers—But Questions Remain About Its Impact

July 19, 2024

Some immigrants who have graduated from college in the United States and have a pending job offer will have an easier time receiving a temporary employment-based visa, thanks to recent changes...

  • Blog

Immigrants Do Not Displace US Workers or Reduce Wages

July 9, 2024

By Robin Lundh, Research Manager and Karen Aho, Consultant A new National Bureau of Economic Research working paper confirms that immigration continues to benefit American workers. The study finds...

  • Blog

Immigrants Are Key to Filling US Labor Shortages, New Data Finds

July 2, 2024

Almost one in every seven people in the United States is an immigrant, according to the American Immigration Council’s new analysis of the 2022 American Community Survey. The updated state-level...

  • Blog

Biden’s New H-2A Rule Expands Protections and Increases Oversight for Migrant Workers

May 9, 2024

On April 29, the Department of Labor (DOL) published a new rule aimed at protecting workers on temporary H-2A visas and strengthening the agency’s oversight of their employers. The rule is set to...

  • Press Release

NEW REPORT: Immigrants are Fueling Economic Growth, Revitalizing Communities in Great Lakes States

October 15, 2024
A new report describes how immigrants are key to the economic success and future viability of communities across the Great Lakes region.
  • Press Release

Four Exchange Visitor sponsors launch resource website showcasing U.S. Department of State's STEM Research Initiative

October 3, 2024
Cultural Vistas, the American Immigration Council, CIEE, and the Institute of International Education (IIE) have launched ResearcherUSA.com, a site offering information about the J-1 Research Scholar visa program, a U.S. Department of State STEM initiative.
  • Press Release

New Report Shows How Immigrant Entrepreneurs Create Jobs Across the U.S.

September 9, 2024
A new report from the American Immigration Council highlights how immigrant entrepreneurs create jobs and make the U.S. a more prosperous place.
  • Press Release

Over 3,360 Texans Attend Houston’s Largest-Ever Citizenship Ceremony

July 11, 2024
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.
  • Press Release

Amid Deadly Heat, Migrant Farm Workers are Keeping Americans Fed

July 2, 2024
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.
  • Press Release

New Report Shows Immigrants in Androscoggin County, Maine Paid Over $24 Million in Taxes and Held Over $74 Million in Spending Power in 2019

April 4, 2024
Immigrants play a crucial role in the labor force in southern Maine, according to data in a new report.
  • Press Release

New Report Reveals Immigrant Roots of Fortune 500 Companies

August 29, 2023
In an annual review of the most successful companies in the United States, the American Immigration Council unveiled today (August 29, 2023) a report that sheds light on the contributions of immigrant entrepreneurs and their children to the U.S. economy.
  • Press Release

New Research Shows Immigrants Account for Nearly 13 Percent of Utah Physicians as Demand for Bilingual Workers Jumps 38.8 Percent

February 7, 2023
The American Immigration Council released new research, The Growing Demand for Healthcare Workers in Utah, which underscores the crucial role immigrants play in some of the state’s fastest growing and most in demand healthcare fields.
  • Press Release

New Research Shows the Key Role Immigrants Play in 13 States’ Healthcare Workforces

February 3, 2023
The American Immigration Council reports underscore the key role of immigrant healthcare workforces of Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
  • Press Release

New Research Shows Immigrants Contributed $8.6 Billion to the El Paso Metro GDP

November 10, 2022
The new report is the first in a series of five reports highlighting immigrants' positive economic impact on Texas border communities.
  • Blog

Giving Thanks to the Hands That Feed America: Immigrant Farmworkers

November 22, 2024

With the approach of Thanksgiving, when many families will be celebrating with food and gratitude, it’s worth taking a moment to reflect on the people who help make Thanksgiving celebrations...

  • Blog

Seasonal Immigrant Workers Are in High Demand. America’s H-2B Visa Program Isn’t Keeping Up.

November 1, 2024

Foreign workers have long provided critical support to American businesses in the busy seasons—filling temporary, seasonal jobs when domestic workers were not available. This support—almost always...

  • Blog

Collective Action Protections for H-2A Workers Face Uphill Legal Battles

October 25, 2024

In April, the Department of Labor (DOL) published an expansive regulation aimed at increasing protections for the growing number of temporary agricultural workers entering the United States on H-...

  • Blog

Business Leadership on Immigration During an Election Year

October 25, 2024

At a time when anti-immigrant rhetoric is splashed across the news, it can be easy to get lost in the whirlwind of misplaced fear politicians continue to foster. But this year’s eighth annual...

  • Special Report

Building Community and Fueling Growth: The Role of Immigrants in Reviving the Great Lakes Region

Publication Date: 
October 15, 2024
“Building Community and Fueling Growth: The Role of Immigrants in Reviving the Great Lakes Region” was written in partnership with the American Immigration Council (AIC) and is an in-depth analysis...
  • Press Release

NEW REPORT: Immigrants are Fueling Economic Growth, Revitalizing Communities in Great Lakes States

October 15, 2024
A new report describes how immigrants are key to the economic success and future viability of communities across the Great Lakes region.
  • Fact Sheet

The H-1B Visa Program and Its Impact on the U.S. Economy

Publication Date: 
October 8, 2024
This fact sheet provides an overview of the H-1B visa category and petition process, addresses the myths perpetuated about the H-1B visa category, and highlights the key contributions H-1B workers...
  • Press Release

Four Exchange Visitor sponsors launch resource website showcasing U.S. Department of State's STEM Research Initiative

October 3, 2024
Cultural Vistas, the American Immigration Council, CIEE, and the Institute of International Education (IIE) have launched ResearcherUSA.com, a site offering information about the J-1 Research Scholar visa program, a U.S. Department of State STEM initiative.
  • Press Release

New Report Shows How Immigrant Entrepreneurs Create Jobs Across the U.S.

September 9, 2024
A new report from the American Immigration Council highlights how immigrant entrepreneurs create jobs and make the U.S. a more prosperous place.
  • Special Report

New American Fortune 500 in 2024

Publication Date: 
September 9, 2024
Our report reveals that 46% of America’s largest companies were founded by immigrants or their children, contributing over $8.6 trillion in revenue and employing more than 15 million people globally.

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