The US closed the door to almost all incoming foreign workers last year. The causes were Covid-19 restrictions that closed world borders and Trump administration policies that drastically reduced work visas, with the exception of farm workers. The effect was an unexpected experiment in one of the country’s most discussed issues – the relationship between the labor market and immigration.
The preliminary finding: Even with the notable U.S. unemployment, businesses that relied on foreign workers and were able to stay open during the pandemic struggled to fill jobs, employers said.
Unemployed U.S. workers were not interested in positions typically held by foreign hiring staff at the lower and seasonal end of the labor market, and the visa ban helped those who were unqualified for specialized positions at the higher end, according to Alex Nowrasteh, director of immigration studies at the Libertarian Cato Institute.
In April, when the pandemic began, the Trump administration banned temporary green cardholders from moving to the U.S. for work and permanent residency. In June, Mr. Trump extended the ban to include most temporary work visas, except for agricultural workers, citing health risks and a rising U.S. unemployment rate. President Biden has not announced his plans for the work visa ban, which runs until March.
These visa programs are a small part of the general immigration picture – they do not include the broader migration to the US of people for reasons such as fleeing violence or poverty, or joining family members. The work visa programs are targeted at specific, even niche categories; these include temporary visas for nannies and foreign students working as lifeguards, and long-term visas for highly skilled technology workers and foreigners starting their own businesses here.