Immigrants in New York State’s Workforce The American Immigration Council published a new report, Economic Benefits of the Empire State Licensing: Immigrants in New York State’s Workforce, in May 2022 highlighting the critical role that immigrants and refugees play in New York’s workforce and the need to reduce barriers to professional and occupational licenses. New […]

Extending Access to Professional Licenses in Maryland: Issue Brief Maryland does not currently have a state policy that allows individuals with no lawful immigration status to apply for occupational and professional licenses. There are currently 237,845 undocumented individuals living in Maryland, including 9,730 undocumented students enrolled in higher education. Many of these students are pursuing […]

Summary International students benefit not only our colleges and universities, but also U.S. businesses, organizations, and the wider economy. Optional Practical Training (OPT), an experiential learning opportunity and work program available to international students upon the completion of their studies, is a key channel through which highly skilled immigrants contribute to American higher education and […]

Rethinking Tuition for Undocumented Students Through Interstate Tuition Agreements (ITAs): A Way Forward? Substantial hurdles remain for undocumented students to access and graduate from higher education institutions. These hurdles include being barred from enrolling in public institutions in three states (Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina) and facing restrictions on accessing in-state tuition in five more […]

In September of 2019, the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration; FWD.us, Niskanen Center, TheDream.US, and United We Dream released a groundbreaking report that urges Congress and state legislatures to expand access to professional, business, and commercial licenses (also known as “occupational licenses”) to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, Temporary Protected Status […]

Ending DACA Would Limit Access to Higher Education in Ten States This policy brief examines the impact of ending Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) on access to higher education in ten states. The brief notes that ending DACA would potentially block thousands of current DACA recipients and DACA-eligible individuals from either enrolling in public […]