Asylum seekers continue to make their way to the U.S. southern border and eventually to places such as New York City. Many of these people want to find work in the U.S. but the process for them to gain proper work authorization was a roadblock. On September 20th, the Biden administration granted parole to about 472,000 Venezuelans who were already in the country, many in New York. Parolees, from Venezuela and other countries, in the U.S. can apply for work authorization online which can happen quickly and may provide authorization for up to 5 years. Read more about the parole process:
- Frequently Asked Questions About the Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans from USCIS
- Parole Sponsorship Is a Revolution in Immigration Policy from the Cato Institute
With these changes, many of the asylum seekers in New York will soon gain work authorization if they have not already. The New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL), through its Workforce Development division, launched this portal for businesses to notify the State if they are interested in hiring newly-authorized individuals. Once the information is in NYSDOL’s system, Regional Business Engagement staff will contact businesses to gather information about the company and open positions as well as provide additional business support services. Find additional information from NYSDOL about this process at: Asylum Seeker Employment Efforts | Department of Labor (ny.gov)
