ACIP's Principles for Immigration Reform
The mission of the American Council on International Personnel (ACIP) is to advocate and educate on global mobility issues. Our members are the professionals responsible for overseeing immigration compliance at many of the world’s most influential employers. ACIP adheres to, promotes and expects the highest ethical standards of professional practice among its membership as reflected in our Code of Ethics.
To compete in knowledge-based global markets, ACIP members recruit, train and move talent worldwide. This requires efficient, predictable and flexible immigration systems that accommodate everything from allowing employees and customers to meet or train with colleagues around the globe; to enabling international teams to service clients based in multiple countries; to rotating managers and executives through global operations; to allowing international scholars and scientists to conduct joint research, often on a long-term basis; to helping employers recruit and retain foreign talent on a permanent basis where in the national interest. Current U.S. immigration laws and processing problems hinder the ability of American employers to compete in today’s economy and invest in the best talent worldwide.
ACIP supports the following principles to reform our highly educated employment-based immigration system:
To compete in knowledge-based global markets, ACIP members recruit, train and move talent worldwide. This requires efficient, predictable and flexible immigration systems that accommodate everything from allowing employees and customers to meet or train with colleagues around the globe; to enabling international teams to service clients based in multiple countries; to rotating managers and executives through global operations; to allowing international scholars and scientists to conduct joint research, often on a long-term basis; to helping employers recruit and retain foreign talent on a permanent basis where in the national interest. Current U.S. immigration laws and processing problems hinder the ability of American employers to compete in today’s economy and invest in the best talent worldwide.
ACIP supports the following principles to reform our highly educated employment-based immigration system:
- Immigration reform should provide employers with a practicable, accurate, reliable and secure electronic employment verification system, including a biometric option, for new hires.
- Immigration reform should provide the tools necessary for the government to effectively identify and sanction employers abusing our immigration laws without unduly burdening those acting in good faith.
- Immigration reform should recognize that most employers make good faith efforts to recruit and train U.S. workers, to comply with employment laws and to treat U.S. and foreign professionals equally and fairly. A “Trusted Employer Registration” program would reward those employers who have committed to excellent compliance practices by ensuring timely, predictable and efficient access to visas for foreign professionals.
- Immigration reform should validate that employers are best equipped to determine the education and skills required to build their global workforce.
- Immigration reform should simplify our immigration system by consolidating the temporary worker categories – temporary business entrants; international assignees; high potential international hires; and highly educated high-demand professionals – and allowing professionals to transition from temporary to permanent status after a period of contributing to the U.S. economy without regard to quotas or nationality.
- Immigration reform should recognize the importance of family unity by providing immediate visas and work authorization for the spouses, permanent partners and children of foreign professionals, regardless of nationality.
- Immigration reform should be considered in the broader context of U.S. education and competitiveness policy, including K-12 and post-secondary education and training – particularly in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics – and legal status for talented students educated in American schools.
| Attachment | Size |
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| ACIP Principles 2011.pdf | 106.42 KB |
