New York SBDC Research Network

From the American Institute for Economic Research In an article published in AIER’s January 1996 Research Report, Thomas Lehman wrote, “The present immigration policy of the United States amounts to nothing less than a tariff or barrier to entry on the commodity of labor, and harms American consumers in the same manner as tariffs and trade barriers on other capital or consumer goods.” In over 20 years, the picture has not improved. Immigration laws restrict such voluntary cooperation by preventing some of those best qualified from fulfilling their most useful economic roles. Calls for immigration restrictions have long been a part of American politics. In 2006, 54 Republican and 26 Democratic senators, including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, voted for the Secure Fence Act, which authorized 700 miles of physical barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border. Still, it is clear from rhetoric and recent executive orders that President Donald Trump intends to restrict immigration more than

Visa PitStop As November 9th, here’s what we do know in terms of where Trump stands on immigration that would significantly impact U.S. employers and foreign entrepreneurs based on his August 31, 2016 10-Point Speech on Immigration . Under the North American Free Trade Agreement entered into by Canada, Mexico and the U.S., in 1994, a new professional visa category (TN visa) was created to enable Canadians and Mexicans to enter the U.S. and fulfill certain occupational work here. The Agreements allows for any party to withdraw under Article 2205, by providing written notice six months in advance to all parties. Trump wants to impose new requirements for all immigration-related visas, particular for the H-1B, by requiring employers to first test the labor market by 1) attempting to fill any open positions with U.S. workers first before hiring foreign workers and 2) by requiring employers to pay a certain prevailing wage level.

Did you know that there are more international students in the United States from Asia than any other continent? Or that China alone, excluding the rest of Asia, sends more students to the United States than the rest of the world combined? SEVIS by the Numbers is a quarterly report using data from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), which SEVP uses to track and monitor the status and activities of nonimmigrant students and exchange visitors who enter the United States. The report highlights key SEVIS data in an engaging way to illustrate trends, values and information on nonimmigrant students studying in the United States. SEVIS by the Numbers Provides Comprehensive Data on International Students  - Highlights from the current report, with a link to download the current report. Student and Exchange Visitor Program Reports  - Archived reports.

The Office for New Americans is designed to assist newcomers to New York State who are "eager to contribute to our economy and become part of the family of New York State." It helps newcomers to fully participate in New York State civic and economic life by strengthening New York State’s welcoming environment for New Americans. ONA facilitates success by: Creating a network of neighborhood-based “Opportunity” Centers Increasing access to English-for-Speakers-of-other-Languages (ESOL) training. Preparing New Americans for the naturalization process. Connecting New Americans to business resources to harness their entrepreneurial spirit. Developing and leveraging the professional skills of New Americans. Maximizing the number of young people receiving Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Strengthening the connections between New Americans and their communities through civic engagement and other opportunities. Reduce exploitation of New Americans by scammers and con

For a growing immigrant community in the United States, setting up shop means blending tools of the trade from home with discoveries made in the new country, and there’s a strategy that’s threading through an array of small businesses. Leila Rodriguez a University of Cincinnati assistant professor of anthropology, presents her research, “Traces of Home, Legacies of Culture: Business Development Among Nigerian Immigrants in New York City.” Minding Their Own Business – UC Research Examines a Growing Immigrant Population’s Self Employment in the U.S.

According to the Bizjournals.com website and the Business Review newsweekly, employers must begin using a revised I-9 work eligibility verification form for new employees by December 26, 2007. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service revised it to update the types of documents that can be used. "The new form also instructs employees that they don't have to include their Social Security number on the form unless they used their Social Security card as evidence of their work eligibility or unless their employer participates in the E-Verify program. Employers in this voluntary program electronically check a new worker's Social Security or visa number against government databases." In other employer news from the US government, the Department of Homeland Security plans to revise its new regulation that would require employers to fire employees if they can't resolve discrepancies between the Social Security numbers submitted by workers and government records. "

A question we were asked recently: Does a business need to get I-9 forms (employment eligibility verification) from its independent contractors? My answer: No. And yes. No, it’s not required of them, but if someone, say Wal-Mart, had a bunch of illegal immigrants working 60-hour weeks with no overtime on their behalf, that would look bad for Wal-Mart. Wait, that DID happen . From this law site : The government is looking beyond the mere labels of "independent contractor" to see if the employer had knowledge of its contractors' practices. In this type of environment, prudent employers who do not want to be the target of a federal investigation or prosecution will review their immigration law compliance efforts and make sure that they, and their executives, are not aware of violations by their contractors... At a minimum, require your contractors to furnish you with copies of Forms I-9 and supporting documentation for the workers they bring onto your site. From this legal