Unblocking the U.S. Immigration System: Executive Actions to Facilitate the Migration of Needed Workers

U.S. employers need workers. As of December 2022, there were 11 million job openings but fewer than six million people looking for work. And while employers “are looking anywhere they can for suitable workers, including abroad,” the restrictive immigration policies of the COVID-19 pandemic and an immigration system that is “misaligned with economic imperatives and national interests” have prevented foreign-born individuals who want to work from filling these vacancies. In a policy brief titled “Unblocking U.S. Immigration System: Executive Actions to Facilitate the Migration of Needed Workers,” the Migration Policy Institute proposes a series of executive actions that could be taken to ease this problem because the legislative branch is at a stalemate. The 21 actions proposed are grouped under seven categories: Efficiency Improvements at USCIS; Helping Work Authorized Immigrants Remain Able to Work; Helping U.S.-Based Migrants Maintain their Legal Status; Ensuring Smooth Consular Processing; More and Better Communication; and Broadening Pathways to the U.S. Labor Force. They also include improving online systems and customer service, implementing small-bore and regulatory changes, expanding visa renewal options, and updating the Green Card system. The author posits that if these actions are implemented, immigrants, employers and the U.S. economy generally would greatly benefit from a larger number of qualified and available workers.

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