Residents of Newark and other nearby areas of New Jersey may want to learn more about the need in the U.S. for immigrant workers. The backlog of approval for employment authorization is a problem. In some cases, people have to wait a year for an extension or approval.
According to Politico, the issue has an effect on labor shortages in the U.S. Because of processing delays, the country has seen a delay in economic recovery. With more than 1.3 million employment authorization applications pending last June, 1.5 million immigrants are waiting in line for employment-based green cards, which would allow permanent residence.
Businesses can not find enough workers
Businesses are saying that they can’t find enough workers at the present time. Additionally, the working-age population of the country is experiencing a decline. At the end of September 2021, there were 10.4 million job openings in the U.S.
Immigrants filled jobs that the country needs
Immigrants are responsible for many jobs that American workers do not fill. Some people who took jobs are now finding that the delays are leading to job loss. They must quit their jobs after their visa reaches expiration. Moreover, they were filling jobs that were important to the economy of the country.
Legislation to help is in debate
Build Back America is a bill that would recapture unused immigrant visas going back to 1992. This would free up 157,000 employment-based visas.
The same legislation provides temporary protection and work authorization to an estimated 7 million undocumented immigrants. This includes the Dreamers and those who work on farms.
USCIS official says they inherited the problem
The Biden administration is working to address these problems, which they say were from the former administration. Extensions of work permits and elimination of some biometrics are some steps they are taking.
The backlog of employment visas is on the mind of the government. They are working to address it for the workers and help shorten the wait, while helping the economy.
