MIRR Alliance Joins 120 Other Organizations Call on Congress to Support the Improving Opportunities for New Americans Act
Dear Members of Congress,
On behalf of more than 120 national, state, and local organizations, we write to express our support for The Improving Opportunities for New Americans Act of 2021. This bipartisan legislation directs the United States Department of Labor (DOL) to study the barriers that lead to the underemployment and unemployment of immigrants and refugees who hold professional credentials earned in other countries.
Immigrants, refugees, and asylees are eager to contribute their experience and training in the U.S. Yet because of systemic barriers, including the lack of recognition of their international education and experience, more than two million immigrants with college degrees are underemployed or unemployed in the U.S.; 60 percent of them have international credentials, according to a report from the Migration Policy Institute. This underutilization of talent limits workforce diversity and robs us of the urgently needed social, cultural, and linguistic abilities of immigrant and refugee workers. It also results in nearly $39.4 billion in forgone earnings and $10 billion in unrealized tax payments.
