As an immigrant you have to jump meet certain legal requirements to even obtain employment in the United States. Not anyone who comes to the United States from a foreign country can simply find a job they want and start working. Immigrants to the United States need citizenship, a green card, or one of multiple types of visas authorizing their employment in the United States. If you want to work in the United States but are unsure of whether you are legally qualified to do so, or are unsure of how to obtain the proper legal status, contact a qualified Washington, DC immigration lawyer to help you sort out the necessary requirements that will afford you gainful employment.
Once you have obtained the correct legal authorization to work in the United States, you as an immigrant are a member of a group protected by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC works to protect immigrants under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and has stipulated a variety of ways in which discrimination against immigrants are expressly prohibited. These include:
- Discrimination based on accent
- Discrimination based on an immigrant’s place of birth
- Discrimination based on a false association with a different national group
- Discrimination based on appearance
- Harassment based on place of national origin
- Practices that may disproportionately and adversely impact people of a particular national origin
- Speak English only rules
Furthermore, the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act expressly prohibits discrimination based on national origin for small businesses of 4-14 employees.
Yet you can only reap the benefits of protection from discrimination if you are legally qualified as an immigrant to work in the United States. You will need assistance in obtaining the proper authorization to do so, and you should not hesitate to contact an experienced immigration lawyer in Washington, DC when you’re ready to seek it.