International Organization for Migration (IOM)

Migrant workers on temporary work visas, however, may be at a disadvantage not
merely due to their lack of US-specific skills but because their residency in the United
States is contingent on employer sponsorship. To ensure that employers do not exploit
migrant workers by paying them lower wages, for certain work visa categories, such
as H1-B visas, employers are required to pay at least the prevailing wage for those
occupations. However, even in high-tech occupations wage discrimination against
foreign-born workers is not an uncommon phenomenon and it is practised without
openly violating H1-B visa requirements (Malos, 2011).
There are no national programmes sponsored by the US government that provide
subsidy for hiring foreign workers already in the United States. Such programmes
are politically undesirable because they are likely to make similarly skilled US
workers less competitive. They are also likely to create market inefficiencies.
While lack of US-specific skills, poor English language proficiency and cultural
differences may cause work place discrimination and a lower wage for foreign
workers than is warranted by their poorer skills, wage subsidy for foreign workers
is not the appropriate policy response. Such a policy is likely to be construed as
discrimination against native workers and therefore politically not viable in the
United States.
There are few state-sponsored programmes in the United States that are specifically
designed to train migrant workers. However, migrant workers are eligible for, and
benefit from, a number of training programmes that are designed for migrant and
US-born workers.
The most important nationwide programme for integrating immigrants is instruction
of English as Second Language (ESL). According to the United States census data,
nearly half of the immigrant workforce in the country does not speak English “very
well.” Thus, while the programme is not exclusively designed for immigrant workers,
a majority of the beneficiaries happen to be foreign-born. A large number of federal
programmes provide free English language instruction. Similar programmes are also
provided by private employers, non-profit and for-profit organizations. Due to lack
of coordination between these programmes, there is no data on the overall demand
for ESL and how many people, US-born or foreign-born, benefit from it (GAO,
2009). Migrant workers are also eligible for training under Title I of the Workforce
Investment Act of 1998 that provides training to adults, youth, and dislocated
workers. To what extent they use such programmes is unknown. Irregular workers,
who are most likely to benefit from such programmes, are least likely to use them
due to fears of deportation; they are more likely to participate in programmes offered
by co-ethnic networks.
4. Conclusions and recommendations
Our overview of the US labour market and migration system suggests a few important
trends for the medium-term. One, the recent trend in polarization of occupational
opportunities is likely to continue. This will result in greater opportunities for very
country studIes – UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
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