Congressional Research Service Reports - 35 Matching Results

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Foreign Students in the United States: Policies and Legislation

Description: This report examines various issues pertaining to foreign students in the United States. Since the Immigration Act of 1924, the United States has expressly permitted foreign students to study in U.S. institutions. Most foreign students are at least 18 years old and are enrolled in higher education programs. Foreign students are generally considered to enrich cultural diversity of the educational experience for U.S. residents as well as enhance the reputation of U.S. universities as world-class … more
Date: March 28, 2002
Creator: Wasem, Ruth Ellen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Immigration and Nationality Act: Questions and Answers

Description: The basic United States law governing immigration and naturalization is contained in the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, as amended (8 U.S.C. 1101 -- et seq.). This report provides questions and answers to explain the way in which the Immigration and Nationality Act as amended through 1981 regulates the entry of aliens for permanent and temporary residence in the United States, and other major provisions of the law. Emphasis is placed on subjects which have been of particular interest … more
Date: March 11, 1982
Creator: Vialet, Joyce
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Farm Labor Shortages and Immigration Policy

Description: This report first explains the connection made over the past several years between farm labor and immigration policies. It next examines the composition of the seasonal agricultural labor force and presents the arguments of grower and farmworker advocates concerning its adequacy relative to employer demand. The report closes with an analysis of the trends in employment, unemployment, time worked and wages of authorized and unauthorized farmworkers to determine whether they are consistent with t… more
Date: March 29, 2006
Creator: Levine, Linda
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Foreign Science and Engineering Presence in U.S. Institutions and the Labor Force

Description: The increased presence of foreign students in graduate science and engineering programs and in the scientific workforce has been and continues to be of concern to some in the scientific community. Enrollment of U.S. citizens in graduate science and engineering programs has not kept pace with that of foreign students in those programs. In addition to the number of foreign students in graduate science and engineering programs, a significant number of university faculty in the scientific disciplin… more
Date: March 23, 2010
Creator: Matthews, Christine M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Overview of Immigration Issues in the 112th Congress

Description: This report synthesizes immigration issues as a multi-tiered debate. It breaks down the U.S. immigration law and policy into key elements: border control and visa security; legal immigration; documentation and verification; interior immigration enforcement; integration, status, and benefits; and refugees and other humanitarian populations. This report also delineates the debate in the 112th Congress for a range of issues, including border security, criminal aliens, and worksite enforcement.
Date: March 21, 2011
Creator: Wasem, Ruth Ellen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S. Immigration Policy on Permanent Admissions

Description: Four major principles underlie current U.S. policy on permanent immigration: the reunification of families, the admission of immigrants with needed skills, the protection of refugees, and the diversity of admissions by country of origin. Against competing priorities for increased immigration are those who offer options to scale back immigration levels, with options ranging from limiting family-based legal permanent residents to the immediate relatives of U.S. citizens to confining employment-… more
Date: March 13, 2012
Creator: Wasem, Ruth Ellen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Immigration-Related Worksite Enforcement: Performance Measures

Description: In the spring of 2009, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued new guidance on immigration-related worksite enforcement. According to 2010 estimates, there are some 8.0 million unauthorized workers in the U.S. civilian labor force. Enforcement activity by the Department of Labor (DOL) is also relevant to a discussion of federal efforts to curtail unauthorized employment.
Date: March 1, 2011
Creator: Bruno, Andorra
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Immigration of Temporary Lower-Skilled Workers: Current Policy and Related Issues

Description: U.S. employers in various industries argue that they need to hire foreign workers to perform lower-skilled jobs, while others maintain that many of these positions could be filled by U.S. workers. While the discussion of current guest worker programs in this report focuses on the H-2A and H- 2B visas, it also covers the Summer Work Travel (SWT) program, the largest of several programs under the J-1 visa for participants in work- and study-based exchange visitor programs. The SWT program is part… more
Date: March 20, 2012
Creator: Bruno, Andorra
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Refugee Admissions and Resettlement Policy

Description: Typically, the annual number of refugees that can be admitted into the United States, known as the refugee ceiling, and the allocation of these numbers by region are set by the President after consultation with Congress at the start of each fiscal year. For FY2012, the worldwide refugee ceiling is 76,000, with 73,000 admissions numbers allocated among the regions of the world and 3,000 numbers comprising an unallocated reserve. Overseas processing of refugees is conducted through a system of th… more
Date: March 7, 2012
Creator: Bruno, Andorra
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Unauthorized Alien Students: Issues and "DREAM Act" Legislation

Description: The 109th and 110th Congresses considered, but did not enact, comprehensive immigration reform legislation that included large-scale legalization programs for unauthorized aliens. In the aftermath of these unsuccessful efforts, some interested parties have urged the President and Congress to pursue more limited legislation to address the status of unauthorized alien students. Such legislation is commonly referred to as the "DREAM Act."
Date: March 21, 2012
Creator: Bruno, Andorra
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Visa Security Policy: Roles of the Departments of State and Homeland Security

Description: This report discusses the visa security and visa policy questions debated in Congress. The policy questions center on whether immigration law needs to be strengthened, whether funding should be increased, and which agency should take the lead.
Date: March 8, 2010
Creator: Wasem, Ruth Ellen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Unlawfully Present Aliens, Driver's Licenses, and Other State-Issued ID: Select Legal Issues

Description: This report provides an overview of key legal issues raised by state laws regarding the denial or issuance of driver's licenses and other forms of ID to unlawfully present aliens, as well as by state and local approaches to recognizing foreign-issued ID documents.
Date: March 28, 2014
Creator: Manuel, Kate M. & Garcia, Michael John
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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State and Local "Sanctuary" Policies Limiting Participation in Immigration Enforcement

Description: This report discusses legal issues related to state and local measures that limit law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities. It includes legal background and select limitations on immigration enforcement including traditional "sanctuary" policies, declining to honor immigration detainers, shielding juveniles from federal detection, and modifying criminal sentences to avoid immigration consequences.
Date: March 28, 2014
Creator: Garcia, Michael John & Manuel, Kate M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Visa Waiver Program

Description: This report discusses the visa waiver program (VWP), which allows foreign visitors to bypass the first, screening step for admissibility to enter the United States. Some policymakers are concerned that this waiver allows terrorists to more easily enter the country. The report provides waiver-related statistics and related legislation.
Date: March 19, 2014
Creator: Siskin, Alison
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification

Description: This report discusses some of the most difficult immigration policy questions regarding unauthorized immigration and unauthorized employment.
Date: March 19, 2013
Creator: Bruno, Andorra
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Immigration Visa Issuances and Grounds for Exclusion: Policy and Trends

Description: This report's review of the legislative developments in visa policy over the past 20 years and analysis of the statistical trends in visa issuances and denials provide a nuanced study of U.S. visa policy and the grounds for exclusion.
Date: March 10, 2010
Creator: Wasem, Ruth Ellen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Border Security: The Role of the U.S. Border Patrol

Description: This report discusses the United States Border Patrol's history as our nation's first line of defense against unauthorized migration. Today, the USBP's primary mission is to detect and prevent the entry of terrorists, weapons of mass destruction, and illegal aliens into the country, and to interdict drug smugglers and other criminals along the border.
Date: March 3, 2010
Creator: Haddal, Chad C.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S. Immigration Policy on Haitian Migrants

Description: This report discusses whether the balance should tip more toward humanitarian immigration policies as a consequence of the humanitarian crises that resulted from the January 12, 2010 earthquake in Haiti.
Date: March 31, 2010
Creator: Wasem, Ruth Ellen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Immigration: Policy Considerations Related to Guest Worker Programs

Description: This report discusses guest worker programs. The United States has two main programs for temporarily importing low-skilled workers, or guest workers. Agricultural guest workers enter through the H-2A visa program, and other guest workers enter through the H-2B visa program.
Date: March 16, 2010
Creator: Bruno, Andorra
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Border Security: Barriers Along the U.S. International Border

Description: This report analyzes the barriers that are currently being constructed and maintained along the border by the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP), including historical and future cost estimates and the policy issues involved. Because the current debate has largely focused on the deployment of fencing to the border, this report will focus on the policy issues surrounding the construction of border fencing.
Date: March 16, 2009
Creator: Haddal, Chad C.; Kim, Yule & Garcia, Michael J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Immigration of Foreign Workers: Labor Market Tests and Protections

Description: This report discusses §1611, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which requires companies receiving Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funding to comply with the more rigorous labor market rules of H-1B dependent companies if they hire foreign workers on H-1B visas.
Date: March 20, 2009
Creator: Wasem, Ruth Ellen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Enforcing Immigration Law: The Role of State and Local Law Enforcement

Description: This report examines some of the policy and legal issues that may accompany an increased role of state and local law officials in the enforcement of immigration law.
Date: March 11, 2009
Creator: Seghetti, Lisa M.; Ester, Karma & Garcia, Michael J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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