Make ImmigrationWork for America
Unfilled Today
by 2033
Machinists & Technicians
An Immigration System Not Designed for Manufacturing
Manufacturers are investing heavily to attract, train and upskill homegrown talent through competitive pay and benefits, apprenticeships, educational partnerships and on-the-job training—but domestic investment alone is not sufficient. Manufacturers need merit-based, legal immigration that can help satisfy our industry’s and our economy’s vital workforce needs.
The U.S. immigration system was not designed for the manufacturing workforce. Welders, machinists and technicians—essential workers who are the backbone of manufacturing—have no legal pathways into the country. Meanwhile, existing pathways for high-skilled workers such as scientists and engineers are often too narrow to meet the demands of modern manufacturing.
Manufacturers believe that the best, most durable solution to illegal immigration is a legal immigration system that works. By pairing strong border security and enforcement with a modern, merit-based, employment-driven immigration system, policymakers can close the workforce gap and secure American industrial dominance for generations to come.
Border Security and Enforcement
Manufacturers stand behind the rule of law and the security of our nation’s borders. Employers need to know that the workforce they hire is in the country legally so that they can confidently make long-term investment decisions. Strong enforcement is foundational, and it should be constructed to avoid sudden workforce disruptions by targeting individuals who pose genuine public safety or national security threats.
Mandatory E-Verify
An enhanced E-Verify system that provides added identity authentication options to reduce employers’ vulnerability to identity fraud, with a safe harbor against liability if used in good faith.
Integrity Measures
Strong visa program integrity measures that ensure these programs function as intended, without abuse, fraud or misuse.
A Merit-Based Immigration System That Works
Eight reforms to close the manufacturing workforce gap by pairing protections for American workers with modern, employment-driven legal immigration pathways.
1. A Pathway to Meet America’s Essential Labor Needs
- Flexible annual cap tied to workforce demand and unemployment.
- Labor market tests and proof of job confirmation.
- Portability among approved employers.
- Limited duration; renewable under defined conditions.
2. High-Skilled Talent to Power America’s Manufacturing Growth
NAM-Endorsed Legislation
Manufacturers urge Congress to support bipartisan immigration reforms to bring the U.S. closer to a legal, merit-based, employment-driven immigration system that meets our industry’s workforce needs.
› The Dignity Act (H.R. 4393)
Increases work-based immigration pathways, mandates 100% nationwide E-Verify, solidifies border security and prioritizes targeted enforcement, provides stability for adult workers brought to the U.S. as children, and offers a seven-year renewable legal work status for long-term immigrants who arrived before 2021.
› The Essential Workers for Economic Advancement Act (H.R. 5494)
Establishes a market-driven “H-2C” visa program to help employers find workers for long-open, hard-to-fill manufacturing-skilled positions, with strong protections for American workers and criminal background checks for applicants.