What Journalists Need to Know About
Immigration Reform & Skilled Workers
Dial-in number: 1-415-655-0001
Access code: 666 430 518
September 12, 2013 2 pm Eastern | 1 pm Central |12 pm Mountain |11 am Pacific
Today’s Presenters
Bao Tram
Program Associate Amanda Bergson-Shilcock
Communications &
Policy Director
Logistics
• Today’s webinar is in listen-only mode via internet audio or dial-
in (by phone). If you have audio issues during the webinar, try
closing browser windows if using internet audio, or hang up and
then dial back in using the telephone.
• To submit your questions/comments throughout the webinar,
use the Q&A box in the lower-right part of your screen.
• For technical assistance or to get a copy of today’s slides: email
[email protected] at any time.
What is IMPRINT?
IMPRINT is a national coalition of nonprofits helping underemployed skilled
immigrants to start their American careers.
IMPRINT:
• Creates and disseminates resources
• Advocates for effective policies
• Broadcasts best practices
Learn more at www.imprintproject.org
Today’s Agenda
• Quick refresher: Where things stand in Congress
• Where we’ve been: The historical context
• What’s broken about the current system?
• The fixes: What’s being proposed
• Will they work? Evaluating the fixes and finding data
But First: A Word of Warning
• Virtually every aspect of the immigration system is subject to exceptions.
• The information presented in this webinar is a
broad overview that focuses on the majority
of situations.
• However, specific policies, localities, and individual immigrants’ cases are always
subject to exceptions and variables which
may be inconsistent with general policies.
Welcome to the complex world of US immigration!
Know Your Definitions
• In this presentation, skilled worker means a person with a bachelor’s degree or
higher
• But beware: In some workforce and
immigration contexts, the term can refer
to person with any type of
postsecondary certificate or degree
• Always check to ensure that sources are
working from the same definition
Where Things Stand in Congress: Senate Side
• In June 2013, the Senate passed immigration reform legislation on a 68-32
vote.
• This Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) bill is roughly 1,200 pages long.
• The Senate’s bill was developed by a bipartisan “Gang of 8” Senators and was
passed with all Democrats, both
Independents and 30 Republicans
voting in favor.
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
Sen. Michael Bennet
(D., CO)
Where Things Stand in Congress: House Side
• The House is taking a more piecemeal approach.
• Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R., VA), who chairs
the House Judiciary Committee, has begun scheduling hearings on various
smaller immigration bills.
• At the same time, a bipartisan “Gang of 7” legislators is continuing work on a
comprehensive bill.
Photo credit: House of Representatives
Rep. Bob Goodlatte
(R., VA)
Where We’ve Been: The Historical Context
• The US Constitution and subsequent
Supreme Court rulings have found that
Congress has the sole power to make laws
pertaining to immigration.
• The President and the executive branch of
government have the responsibility of
implementing legislation, including
necessary regulations.
• States are generally prohibited from setting
their own immigration laws under the doctrine of “preemption” (just as states are
not allowed to pursue individual foreign
policy agendas).
Did You Know? The INS No Longer Exists
• Hollywood notwithstanding, the US government no longer has an
agency called the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).
• Instead, the former (or “legacy”) INS’s duties were divided among 3
agencies in 2003.
All three are within the Dept. of Homeland Security:
• Customs and Border Protection
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement
• US Citizenship and Immigration Services
Photo credit: Flickr user CBP Photography
What’s Broken About the Current System?
These are among the most significant issues:
• Existing backlogs: Millions of immigrant applicants are stuck in
years- or even decades-long lines.
• Cumbersome systems: Employers, students, workers, and
others frequently go through lengthy, contorted efforts to
remain in compliance with immigration requirements.
• No options available: For approximately 11 million immigrants
in the US (and other potential migrants outside), there is no
potential immigration pathway open to them.
The Big Shift
Greater emphasis would be placed on “merit-based” pathways focusing on skills and credentials, rather than family ties.
Proposed changes would dramatically shift the balance
of new immigrants to the US.
What the Proposed Shift Would Include
Key proposed changes in the immigration system include:
1. Designation of new “merit-based” visas that are awarded
based on a points system that emphasizes education, skills, and
work experience.
2. Changes in the existing visa programs for skilled workers to
make it easier to change jobs
3. Removal of caps on certain visas to allow for more flexibility in
granting admission to skilled workers and their families
4. Establishment of a new federal bureau to assess labor and
immigration needs
What the Shift Includes: “Merit-based” Visas
The proposed new system would establish a points system by
which so-called “merit-based” visas are awarded.
Applicants would receive points for:
• Degrees held
• Work experience
• English skills
…and other human capital factors.
Fewer points would be granted for factors such as family ties
and diversity of nationality.
What the Shift Includes: H1B Workers
Under the current system, skilled workers
who have a job offer and an employer
sponsor may qualify for H1B visas. There is a hard cap on the number of H1B visas that
may be granted in a year.
Under the proposed new system, the
number of skilled worker visas would expand or contract annually based on the
US unemployment rate and other factors.
Making H1Bs More Portable
Under the current system, H1B visa holders are tightly tied to their
employer. While they are permitted to change jobs, the process
can be complex and can increase the danger that the worker
will fall out of status and be subject to deportation.
Under the proposed new system, skilled worker visas would be
more portable, making easier for a visa holder to move to a new job.
Workers would thus have more discretion to change jobs at will,
just as other workers in our economy already do.
What the Shift Includes: STEM grads
Under the current system, international students
studying at US universities have limited options if they
wish to stay in the US after graduation.
Under the proposed new system, students who
receive an advanced degree in in Science,
Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM) would
have an easier path to employment-based visas
and eventual permanent resident status.
This change is sometimes colloquially referred to as “stapling a green card to their diplomas.”
What the Shift Includes:
Analyzing Labor Market Needs
Under the proposed new system, a new independent statistical
bureau would be established.
The bureau would analyze the US labor market and make recommendations to policymakers on:
• Numerical limits for certain visas
• Shortage occupations
• Other aspects of the new
employment-based visa system
This slide based on Migration Policy Institute analysis of Senate Bill 744.
The Thinking Behind These Shifts
Countries such as Australia and
Canada use a points-based immigration system that focuses
on skills needed by the receiving country.
This relatively new approach to
immigration is still being tinkered with. If the US implements such a
provision, it would be by far the
largest country to do so.
See the Canadian points system here:
http://tinyurl.com/pointscanada
Will it Work?
It seems plausible that distributing “merit-based” visas will result in
immigrants who are more likely to find employment after they
reach the US.
However, research suggests the picture is more complex.
A Canadian study found that social and
community ties – the very ties that family-based
migrants are more likely to have – have a
notable effect on an immigrant’s economic
success during the first 4 years in a new
country.
Social Capital and Wages - Outcome of Recent Immigrants to Canada (Xue, Li, 2008.
Available online at: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/research-stats/social-
capital.pdf)
The Big Unknown
US immigration history is filled with examples of unintended consequences.
Potential unintended consequences of these shifts include:
• Less migration from some countries, especially
those in Africa (given the elimination of the Diversity
Visa Lottery and decreased points for national-
origin diversity)
• Fewer migration opportunities for women (given
unequal access to educational opportunities that
will help them build “merit” and skills)
Evaluating Claims About Skills
Local angles on the immigration reform story may include
employers who report shortages of skilled workers.
To fully assess local skills shortages, journalists may wish to gather:
• Perspectives from affected employers
• Data on local workforce projections
• Viewpoints from higher education administrators and/or state labor department officials
• Information about un- or under-employed
workers already in the local area who may have
relevant skills
Next, we’ll discuss some resources for obtaining this data.
Locating Research & Data on Skill Gaps
The US Department of Labor’s Employment and Training
Administration maintains a website with resources for researchers,
analysts, and others interested in labor market information.
The Labor Market Information “WIN-WIN” Network is located at:
https://winwin.workforce3one.org/page/about
Specific WIN-WIN resources are highlighted on the following slide.
Locating Research & Data on Skill Gaps
The US Department of Labor, Employment and Training
Administration (ETA)’s Skimming for Skills guide provides links to
surveys, reports and customized data tools.
Skimming for Skills helps you locate relevant data sources that will
allow you to shed light on labor or skill shortages, skill mismatches,
and skill deficiencies. See: https://winwin.workforce3one.org/view/Skimming_for_Skills_Finding_Skills_Data/info
ETA has also created a repository of research studies and other
resources on skill deficiencies, shortages and mismatches. See: https://winwin.workforce3one.org/view/2001222867362296342/info
State-level Workforce Projections:
Another Source
Recovery: Job Growth And Education Requirements Through
2020, Center on Education and the Workforce, Georgetown
University, 2013. http://cew.georgetown.edu/recovery2020/
Finding Local Workforce Data
Each state has its own resources for labor-market and workforce information. Below are a few examples.
• CA: www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/
• NY: www.labor.ny.gov/stats/
• PA: www.paworkstats.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/home/19890
• TX: www.twc.state.tx.us/customers/bemp/labor-market-information.html
The Missing Piece
In some cases, local communities may already be home to skilled workers who
could fill key gaps.
In addition to American-born workers, this pool includes more than 2 million
skilled immigrants already living in the US
who hold a college degree but are
currently un- or under-employed.
The Migration Policy Institute report
Uneven Progress documents both the
challenges faced by skilled immigrants,
and the opportunity that these workers
represent.
http://tinyurl.com/unevenprogress
Additional Resources: IMPRINT
IMPRINT’s publications help to spell out the
issues facing local workforce and
economic development initiatives as they
seek to incorporate skilled immigrants.
Our website includes:
• Talent is Ready, an overview of skilled
immigrant barriers and solutions
• State and Local Policy Recommendations
for municipalities and states that seek to
boost skilled immigrant workforce
integration.
www.imprintproject.org
Click on “Publications”
Learning About Skilled Immigrants
in Your Community
Understanding whether skilled immigrants
may be a solution to labor shortages or skill
mismatches requires an examination of the
local immigration landscape.
IMPRINT’s member organizations have 10 locations nationwide, and we are available
as a resource for journalists seeking to
understand local immigration patterns.
In addition…
Finding Local Immigration Data
There are several major sources of immigration-related data:
US Census (data collected just once every 10 years) and
American Community Survey (annual estimates based on a sample; can have wide margins of error) are both available via:
http://factfinder2.census.gov
US Census Bureau, Individual Public Use Microdata Series or
IPUMS (detailed Census data)
https://usa.ipums.org/usa/
Local Immigration Data (cont’d)
US Dept. of Homeland Security, Yearbook of Immigration Statistics www.dhs.gov/yearbook-immigration-statistics
This annual report summarizes key data about newly arrived
immigrants and those whose immigration status has recently changed.
Be aware:
• Data reflects the federal fiscal year (Oct 1 – Sept. 30)
• Data for a state or metro area may include immigrants who traveled to that immigration office and do not permanently reside in the area
• Data does NOT always refer to “new” immigrants – for example, new permanent residents includes those who have just moved to the US and those who had already been living n the US under a different immigration status.
Questions & Answers
CONTACT US
www.imprintproject.org
Amanda Bergson-Shilcock,
Communications & Policy Director
