Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 276 views

    Fortune 500 PDF

    Uploaded by

    Breitbart News
    The letter requests relief from the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State for foreign workers and their employers impacted by COVID-19. It asks that work authorization expiration dates be extended, unlawful presence not be accrued, and absence be forgiven for those staying abroad due to the pandemic. It also requests continued processing of essential worker visas, including for healthcare workers and farmworkers. The signatories represent various business, faith, civic and immigration organizations concerned about the pandemic's economic effects without action on these issues.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Fortune 500 PDF

    Uploaded by

    Breitbart News
    276 views5 pages
    The letter requests relief from the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State for foreign workers and their employers impacted by COVID-19. It asks that work authorization expiration dates be extended, unlawful presence not be accrued, and absence be forgiven for those staying abroad due to the pandemic. It also requests continued processing of essential worker visas, including for healthcare workers and farmworkers. The signatories represent various business, faith, civic and immigration organizations concerned about the pandemic's economic effects without action on these issues.

    Original Description:

    Corporate request to help keep visa workers

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    The letter requests relief from the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State for foreign workers and their employers impacted by COVID-19. It asks that work authorization expiration dates be extended, unlawful presence not be accrued, and absence be forgiven for those staying abroad due to the pandemic. It also requests continued processing of essential worker visas, including for healthcare workers and farmworkers. The signatories represent various business, faith, civic and immigration organizations concerned about the pandemic's economic effects without action on these issues.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    276 views5 pages

    Fortune 500 PDF

    Uploaded by

    Breitbart News
    The letter requests relief from the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State for foreign workers and their employers impacted by COVID-19. It asks that work authorization expiration dates be extended, unlawful presence not be accrued, and absence be forgiven for those staying abroad due to the pandemic. It also requests continued processing of essential worker visas, including for healthcare workers and farmworkers. The signatories represent various business, faith, civic and immigration organizations concerned about the pandemic's economic effects without action on these issues.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    You are on page 1of 5

    Relief for Immigrants Sign On Letter to DHS

    and DOS

    04 | 17 | 2020
    Dear Secretary Pompeo, Acting Secretary Wolf, and Senior Official
    Cuccinelli:

    First, we would like to thank you for your service and your agencies’ work to
    keep the country healthy, safe, and functioning during the COVID-19
    pandemic. We write to request that you provide relief to foreign-born
    workers and their families and employers in the wake of the outbreak. It is
    clear that COVID-19 will continue to impact American life and work for at
    least the next several months. The undersigned represent a wide range of
    business, faith, civic and immigration advocacy organizations.

    USCIS office closures and visa processing limitations mean that without
    action, nonimmigrant workers risk falling out of status or violating the terms
    of their visa through no fault of their own. American hospitals and farms will
    lack the critical immigrant labor force needed to get us through these trying
    times. We applaud recent actions taken by the State Department, USCIS
    and DHS to address some of the issues associated with visa processing,
    but more needs to be done. We ask that DHS, the Department of State,
    and USCIS provide relief to these important workers and their employers.

    Only immediate action will prevent long-lasting ramifications to the U.S.


    workforce and economy. We request relevant U.S. agencies:

    1.      Delay all work authorization expiration dates and extend


    deadlines to renew or adjust status until at least September 10.

    With USCIS offices closed to all in-person services, routine consular visa
    services suspended and I-140 premium processing suspended, temporary
    workers who would otherwise be eligible for renewal or adjustment may fall
    out of status. Even with recent changes to allow reproduced original
    signatures, only a limited number of filings can be made on-line. New
    backlogs are inevitable, and shelter-in-place orders across the country
    prevent ap

    plicants from accessing the support or the tools needed to properly file
    petitions and applications. In addition to losing these workers, employers
    will no longer be able to hire new employees from abroad during the
    pandemic. Even visas that have already been approved will now be
    delayed, leaving employers unexpectedly without workers. Without action,
    these issues will lead to hundreds and thousands of unfilled jobs and have
    profound negative economic effects.

    Many USCIS personnel work in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area,


    where shelter-in-place orders will be in effect until at least June 10. We ask
    that all work authorization expirations and deadlines to renew or adjust
    status be extended until at least three months after this date, to provide a
    remedy to temporary workers and employers during these unusual
    circumstances.

    2.     Forgive accrual of unlawful presence for furloughed workers and


    student visa holders and forgive extended absence for green card
    holders.

    Workers who have been furloughed during lockdowns or students who stay
    beyond the duration of their status due to the pandemic may begin to
    accrue unlawful presence for violating the terms of their visas. This accrual
    could result in entry bans that will impact their ability to contribute to the
    American workforce and be a part of the economic recovery effort due to
    circumstances beyond their control. USCIS has the authority to suspend
    accrual of unlawful presence, and it should do so for those affected by the
    pandemic.

    Some lawful permanent residents (LPRs) and other visa holders have been
    forced to stay abroad for longer than expected due to the pandemic and
    resulting travel restrictions. Stays longer than six months outside the U.S.
    can be a serious problem for green card holders and can lead to them
    being found to have abandoned their permanent residence. USCIS should
    forgive the negative impacts of extended absence for LPRs and other visa
    holders who are staying outside the country due to COVID-19.

    3.     Add flexibility to continue processing essential worker visas,


    including for health care workers and temporary farmworkers.

    Delayed consular visa processing in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic


    has already had a significant impact on vital American industries such as
    health care and agriculture. The processing of J-1 foreign doctors and EB-3
    nurses has been paused during the outbreak, and some hospital systems
    rely heavily on premium processing of H-1Bs, which has been suspended.
    Together, thousands of healthcare workers are ready but unable to assist
    with the effort to combat the spread of COVID-19 in American communities.
    Farmers have also been left without expected foreign workers due to
    delays in processing H-2A temporary farmworkers. We greatly appreciate
    the administration’s efforts to add flexibility to H-2A processing to aid
    farming labor shortages. But keeping food on grocery store shelves and
    American tables is as important as ever, and federal agencies should make
    it a priority to process these visas along with those of other workers critical
    to our nation’s well-being.

    We ask that the administration continue to process visas at USCIS and at


    U.S. embassies and consulates for workers in industries critical to the
    COVID-19 response and recovery effort and add additional flexibility to visa
    processing requirements and waive or postpone inessential in-person
    interviews.

    We the undersigned ask that U.S. federal agencies take immediate action
    to support foreign- born workers and their employers during the COVID-19
    pandemic. First, we ask that work authorization and deadlines to renew and
    adjust status be extended until September 10. Second, we ask that USCIS
    forgive accrual of unlawful presence for furloughed workers and student
    visa holders, as well as forgive extended absence for LPRs forced to stay
    abroad. Third, we ask that the visa system be made more flexible in order
    to continue processing essential workers like nurses and farmworkers. The
    undersigned stand willing and ready to work with you and the federal
    government on these and other issues, in order to keep the country and its
    economy healthy and strong, both today and in the future.

    Sincerely,

    Americans for Prosperity

    AmericanHort

    American Immigration Council

    American Immigration Lawyers Association

    Association for Health Care Agencies Council for Christian Colleges &
    Universities

    Essential Worker Immigration Coalition

    Hispanic Leadership Fund

    Idaho Dairymen’s Association

    Information Technology Industry Council

    LeadingAge

    The Libre Initiative

    National Association of Evangelicals

    NALEO Educational Fund

    National Immigration Forum

    New American Economy


    Niskanen Center

    President’s Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration

    TechNet

    Unite-LA

    You might also like