The downturn in the U.S. economy has caused stress on nearly all sectors of the United States economy. The A.P. has uncovered records that demonstrate the extent to which businesses have shied away from sponsoring immigrant workers during the economic downturn. In examining employment-based immigrant petitions, the A.P. reports that 235,000 applications were submitted in 2007, 104,000 applications in 2008 and only 36,000 applications during the first eight months of 2009.
This downturn in applications is indicative of the economic downturn. Let’s hope that both the economy and the opportunities available to immigrants recover quickly.