As the United States returns to normal, economic demand is soaring, but businesses are struggling to fulfill all the needs of consumers. Across the country, you will see businesses of all sizes in desperate need of workers to fill open roles. The pandemic sparked the great resignation which resulted in a record high 47 million workers leaving their jobs in 2021. Workers left for a variety of reasons including wanting a fresh start, more pay, retirement, better benefits, and some jumped industries entirely. Employers have since had to face the consequences of losing a large amount of their staff. Simultaneously, economic demand is booming leading businesses to hire as quickly as possible to satisfy consumer’s needs. However, they are running into an issue — there are significantly more job postings than there are workers to fill them.
Solve your staffing shortages today, by investing in EB3 visa workers. Our team has decades of experience processing and executing every step of the EB3 hiring process. Let us help you hire, so you can focus on fulfilling your business needs on a day to day basis.
The Driving Factor of America’s Labor Shortage: Declining Immigration
As noted above, US workers left their jobs for a variety of reasons, but one reason in particular is holding back the economy from capturing existing demand and reaching its full potential. Led by the Trump Administration in 2016, the US began tightening its stance on immigration and limiting both illegal and legal immigration into the US by slashing foreign visa caps in the name of protecting American jobs. Trump’s policies included substantially reducing the total amount of available NIV’s, green cards, and H1-B’s for foreign nationals.
Niel Bradley, the chief policy officer for the Chamber of Commerce, recently cited he believes that due to several of the aforementioned factors, returning the US workforce to adequate levels will be a long-term challenge and will require actions in the form of policy. The chamber, along with many other businesses and economists are advocating for congress to increase the number of working visas or create new pathways into the country entirely.
Some industries like healthcare and construction are being impacted more than others. In 2018, roughly 18% of the workforce was immigrants but they accounted for over a third of home-aid healthcare workers according to Barron’s. Currently, the healthcare sector has one of the highest amounts of open jobs of any industry. As the demographic trends in the United States see the population getting older, it is expected that the home-aid healthcare industry will grow by 33% in the next ten years. Undoubtedly this industry is feeling the impacts of America’s immigrant shortage. Meanwhile, the construction industry is also suffering the consequences of reduced immigration. McKinsey projects that the new infrastructure law passed by congress may spark up to 600,000 new job opportunities in an industry that is already struggling to fill open roles.
Furthermore, the tech and STEM fields are also feeling the impact of reduced immigration, specifically the lowered H-1B visa caps. The chamber of commerce reports that there will be more than a million new job openings in the industry within the next eight years. Currently, almost half of all graduate school degrees in STEM are being earned by immigrants, yet the limit of visas is causing the US to miss out on an extremely talented pool of workers.
Benefits of Hiring Green Card Workers
Hiring green card workers provides domestic employers the opportunity to tap into a brand new labor pool. These workers are also far more loyal than US workers as it is more complicated for them to change jobs due to their visa status. This provides employers with long-term security allowing them to focus their attention on aspects of their business beyond hiring and retention.
Are you interested in hiring green card workers to solve your hiring challenges and improve the productivity of your business? Reach out today to begin the process or ask more detailed questions about the process.
What is the Hiring Process for EB3 Visa Workers
The hiring process consists of three main steps including the PERM Labor filing, the I-140 immigrant petition, and the adjustment of status.
PERM Labor Filing
The PERM is the labor certification application filed with the Department of Labor. The employer must first test the labor market to ensure that there are no able, willing, and qualified US workers available to fill the position.
I-140 Immigrant Petition
The I-140 is an immigrant petition filed with USCIS on behalf of the foreign national. The petition must be accompanied by the labor certification and other required documentation.
Adjustment of Status
Once the I-140 is approved, the foreign national may file for adjustment of status to obtain a green card. The foreign national must be physically present in the United States at the time of filing. If the foreign national is outside of the United States, he or she may consular process through the nearest US consulate.
In total, the timeline takes anywhere from 12-18 months and will cost the employer $1,000 in fees which is far cheaper than hiring and retaining US workers. This is a nuanced and intricate process, which is why our team is here to help. Our team will ensure every aspect of the immigrant’s case is handled swiftly and accurately ensuring you can focus on your business goals.
We have decades of experience matching green card workers with employers of all sizes in all fifty states!
