In a bold move that many other companies would probably shy away from, clothing manufacturer and retailer American Apparel announced, in a news release, that the government found about 1,600 company employees that may not be authorized to work in the United States. Furthermore, about 200 employees were found to have discrepancies in their employment records.
 
The Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agency conducted an inspection of the company last year, leading to this development. Their findings included many employees using fake social security numbers in order to secure the job. These social security numbers were found to be either not real …read more

According to a new report by Harvard researchers, immigration might be the factor that keeps the housing market on the path to recovery. If immigration were to slow down, the resulting lack of customers would hurt the real estate market further on down the line, meaning that the group of researchers recommends no dramatic changes to immigration policy.
 
The same Harvard economists cite the current unemployment crisis as the major factor keeping the housing market from recovering more quickly. On a more optimistic note, the economists concluded that the housing market continues to correct itself as more and more home prices …read more

Earlier I mentioned the new on-line registration system the US has come up with, which may well make things difficult for people who don’t have a computer. I’ve also mentioned efforts to make getting your laptop through security less burdensome. Increasingly, those who travel internationally with a computer may want to rethink bringing their laptop with them at all, or at least consider which data should really be on there.
According to recent reports, US border officials have increasingly been “inspecting” laptops of US citizens and non-citizens alike, and holding those laptops for, in some case, an extended period of …read more

The visa waiver program makes it relatively easy for citizens of certain (mostly developed) countries to enter the United States without a visa (see map above). Travelers simply fill out a paper form on the airplane before deplaning and, assuming they have a valid passport and are eligible for entry, are admitted to the United States.
Under a new rule promulgated in June, however, travelers wishing to use the visa waiver program will be required to submit certain personal data electronically prior to entering the US on the waiver program. Those who wish to do so may start using the online …read more