Last week, the IMPRINT Coalition submitted a set of policy recommendations to the White House Task Force on New Americans to support the workforce inclusion of internationally trained immigrants and refugees. The IMPRINT Coalition comprises 29 member organizations from across the U.S.—including service providers, advocates, and educational institutions—that are committed to increasing access to economic opportunity for immigrants and refugees. IMPRINT advocates for public policy reform to support the economic inclusion of immigrants and refugees who hold credentials earned in another country.
In February 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order on Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration Systems and Strengthening Integration and Inclusion Efforts for New Americans. Among other things, the executive order directs the White House Domestic Council to “coordinate the Federal Government’s efforts to welcome and support immigrants and […] refugees” and to “convene a Task Force on New Americans” to achieve this goal. After its launch in December 2022, the White House Task Force on New Americans initiated a public consultative process to gather input from stakeholders across the U.S.
“For over 20 years, I have supported internationally trained and educated health workers through the programmatic and the advocacy work of the Welcome Back Initiative and the IMPRINT Coalition,” said José Ramón Fernández-Peña, founder of the Welcome Back Initiative (WBI) and founding member of the IMPRINT Coalition. “I am excited to see the outreach work the White House Task Force on New Americans has undertaken and I hope they will build on the experience many of us have shared with them. It is imperative that they capitalize on the current momentum to extend access to the workforce for internationally educated and trained immigrants and refugees in all sectors of the U.S. workforce.”
In a 2021 report, the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) found that “almost half of recent arrivals (i.e., immigrants who arrived in the past five years) have a bachelor’s degree or higher, most often gained abroad.” Yet, despite this expertise and training, approximately two million immigrants and refugees who hold a bachelor’s degree or higher are either unemployed or underemployed in the U.S.
The IMPRINT Coalition calls upon the White House Task Force for New Americans to ensure that internationally trained immigrants and refugees are served through future federal policies, programs, and funding initiatives. IMPRINT’s recommendations include the following:
- The creation of a federal Office of New Americans (ONA) to coordinate federal agency programs, policies, and investments related to immigrant and refugee workforce inclusion
- Investment in workforce training and development programming that takes into account the credentials immigrants and refugees have earned in another country
- Strengthening English language learning programming designed to meet the unique needs of internationally educated and trained immigrants and refugees
- Improved data analysis and data collection through federally funded workforce development programs for the purpose of informing policymaking and program design
Read the full list of recommendations to the White House Task Force on New Americans.
Visit the IMPRINT Coalition’s webpage to learn more about the IMPRINT Coalition, its members, and the issues facing internationally trained and educated immigrants and refugees.
Fatima Sanz is the Senior Policy Manager for WES Global Talent Bridge.
