WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Changes to Refugee, Asylum Programs Could Aid Senior Living
By Patrick Connole C
arl Risch, a partner with Mayer Brown LLP in Washington, DC, spoke at the Argentum Public
Policy Institute held in March where he described scenarios for tapping into flows of more potential workers as a result of Biden Administration changes to refugee and asylum programs. With the outlook in Congress for larges- cale immigration reform a nonstarter, and the ability to bring more than a trickle of potential workers into the country via a spe- cific visa category for senior living, the focus instead should be on what if any windfall of workers could come from other recent changes to existing refugee and asylee pro- grams, as well as parole programs. Risch said as they stand now, immigration
regulations do not provide a way for admit- ting prospective direct-care workers as non- immigrants, nor as immigrants. “However, recent immigration reform [by the Biden Administration] has created a population of tens of thousands of foreign-born po- tential workers who are already in the U.S., or will be authorized to travel to the U.S. with employment authorization.” This potential pool of new workers came
after the White House used executive powers to expand the numbers of refugees and related classes of immigrants allowed into the country.
Tent Partnership for Refugees a Bright Spot At the top of the list on ways in which senor living businesses could connect their work- force needs to these workers, Risch said owners/operators should become familiar with the Tent Partnership for Refugees pro- gram originated by the founder of Chobani yogurt, Hamdi Ulukaya.
38 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE MAY/JUNE 2023 He started the Tent Partnership for
Refugees in 2016, forming the nonprofit to mobilize the business community to improve the lives and work futures of ref- ugees from all over the world. Tent’s 250 members include large corporations like Amazon and Hilton. Ulukaya also signed the Giving Pledge, committing the majority of his personal wealth to help bring an end to the refugee crisis. The U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement
is also an avenue, and Risch said Argentum is already working with Tent to develop outreach with its members.
Parole Program Another Option Changes to the parole program for some select countries have also yielded opportunities for private entities to sponsor refugees, skipping over the normal customary immigration reg- ulation to get parolees to come to the country. The definition of “parole” in immigra-
tion circles is not based on those who are being released from incarceration, instead parole allows an individual who may be inadmissible or otherwise ineligible for ad-
mission into the U.S. to be paroled into the country for a temporary period. “Employers looking for employees, un-
derstanding these programs, understanding how they work, understanding how to ac- cess these employees as they come in — tens of thousands a month that were not coming before — I believe, is the best investment of time and resources right now, at this time and place in history, to try to address any crisis around not having enough workers to work for a company,” Risch said. A recent announcement by the Dept.
of Homeland Security outlined the newly revised processes through which nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, and their immediate family members, may request to come to the U.S. “Qualified beneficiaries who are outside
the United States and lack U.S. entry docu- ments may be considered, on a case-by-case basis, for advanced authorization to travel and a temporary period of parole for up to two years for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit,” the U.S. Citi- zen and Immigration Services said.
TO PARTICIPATE, BENEFICIARIES MUST
• Have a supporter in the U.S.; • Undergo and clear robust security vetting; • Meet other eligibility criteria; and • Warrant a favorable exercise of discretion.
Individuals participating in these processes must have a supporter in the U.S. who agrees to provide them with financial support for the duration of their parole.
The following are links to resources to learn more about refugee assistance programs:
https://www.workforcegps.org/resources/2022/03/18/13/31/Afghan_ Evacuees_and_Workforce_Development_FAQs;
https://www.lirs.org/hire-a- refugee/; and
https://www.tent.org/
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