NEW YORK, NY—(September 29, 2021) Last week, bipartisan legislation directing the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to conduct an interagency study of the barriers that limit employment opportunities for immigrants and refugees with international credentials passed the U.S. House of Representatives as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
First introduced as a stand-alone bill with bipartisan support in August 2020, the Improving Opportunities for New Americans Act was reintroduced in June 2021 with six co-sponsors. In August 2021, World Education Services (WES) joined 120 organizations in urging members of Congress to co-sponsor the bill.
WES applauds this progress and calls on the Senate to pass the legislation into law.
In June, WES’ Executive Director and CEO Esther Benjamin stated that the legislation is “critical to helping advance economic opportunity for all and redressing inequities that prevent immigrants and refugees from rejoining their fields in the U.S.”
Read more about the legislation in WES Global Talent Bridge’s recent blog post.
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About World Education Services (WES)
World Education Services (WES) is a non-profit social enterprise dedicated to helping international students, immigrants, and refugees achieve their educational and career goals in the United States and Canada. For more than 45 years, WES has set the standard of excellence in the field of international academic credential evaluation. Through WES Global Talent Bridge, the organization joins with institutional partners, community-based organizations, and policymakers to help immigrants and refugees who hold international credentials fully utilize their talents and education to achieve their academic and professional goals. Its philanthropic arm, the WES Mariam Assefa Fund, supports catalytic leaders and organizations working to build inclusive economies and to ensure that immigrants and refugees can achieve their aspirations and thrive.
