More than 100 Business Organizations Sign Onto Council Letter Urging Congress to Reduce the Waiting Period for Asylum Seekers to Obtain Work Permits

This press release was originally published by the American Immigration Council.

Today, the American Immigration Council joins over 100 business organizations, including chambers of commerce and trade associations throughout the country, to call on Congress to remove the current barrier to getting asylum seekers work permits quickly. The letter calls for the waiting period to be reduced from the current 180 mandatory days to 30 days and additional funding for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for faster work permit processing.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 9.6 million job openings, with an estimated 6.5 million people currently looking for work. Businesses are struggling with unprecedented worker shortages, especially in industries such as durable goods manufacturing, transportation, accommodation and food, wholesale and retail, and leisure and hospitality.

This letter was organized in partnership with the Refugee Advocacy Lab at Refugees International, the Asylum Seekers Advocacy Project, and American Immigration Lawyers Association, who are part of a growing movement calling for congressional solutions to allow asylum seekers to get to work more quickly.

Continue reading the press release here and learn more about the #LetAsylumSeekersWork campaign here.