Recent research published by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reveals that most U.S. employers believe modernizing the U.S. immigration system is key to alleviating labor shortages, spurring economic growth, and maintaining global competitiveness. As such, SHRM supports updating the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), the federal legislation governing immigration and citizenship in the U.S.
Overall, SHRM’s research found that most employers supported increased immigration opportunities. They also overwhelmingly disagreed that increasing immigration would make it more difficult for U.S. workers to find jobs, citing high numbers of job openings and low unemployment rates. Most employers also agreed that they are missing out on global talent due to the nation’s immigration system, and they would benefit from increased numbers of legally authorized workers present in the U.S. on visas. Finally, about 46% of respondents reported workforce disruptions due to worker shortages, with most disruptions reported in the healthcare, manufacturing, and education industries.
The SHRM research showed that 96% of employers that hired foreign-born workers had positive experiences. However, only 52% of those employers had positive experiences with the U.S. immigration system, citing processing delays and unpredictability as the major “pain points” they most often faced. As a result, over half of the respondents find it risky to invest in foreign-born workers due to the uncertainties posed by the U.S. immigration system. They would be more willing to invest in foreign workers if the system provided more certainty. Other respondents who currently do not hire foreign workers say they would do so if the immigration system were not so burdensome.
Through its research, SHRM compiled the top five improvements employers would like the U.S. government to make to the American immigration system. These improvements include the following:
- Electronic filing for all aspects of the immigration system;
- Continuous automatic renewals;
- More guidance from government agencies;
- An increased number of available employment visas; and
- A “Known Employer” system to streamline the process for employers that submit multiple applications to DOL and USCIS year after year.
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