Q&A
Work authorization application and approval rates
1:05:43
·
61 sec
Council Member Diana Ayala inquires about the approval rates for work authorization applications. Molly Schaeffer and Dr. Ted Long provide information on the application process and available data.
- 70% of eligible adults have either applied for work authorization or have received it
- The city does not receive direct feedback from the federal government on approval rates
- Information on work authorization status is largely self-reported by asylum seekers
- Case managers adjust their approach based on an individual's stage in the work authorization process
Diana Ayala
1:05:43
Just to clarify, doctor Long, do we know how many of the 70% of folks that have applied for workforce authorization, do you know how many of them have received that authorization?
Molly Schaeffer
1:05:55
We don't get that feedback back from the federal government, so everything that we have is self reported, and so people have to affirmatively tell us in that case.
1:06:04
And so we don't we don't necessarily have that information.
Ted Long
1:06:07
And it's it's a good question, actually, just to, to further make the point that we wanted to we are working with the information we have, and we're we're doing the good best job we can listening.
1:06:15
So we actually ask in our air every other week, that was another, good true statement that was made, where you are again in your work authorization journey, if you've received work authorization, if you have the paperwork, because then our case manager won't talk to you about applying for work authorization, but once you have it, that's where we talk about the OSHA trainings that were mentioned, learning English as a second language, trying to find new jobs, which we've been helping people to do.
1:06:38
We're even doing trainings with other community based organizations for things like learning to work in kitchens, things like that.
UNKNOWN
1:06:43
Mhmm.
Diana Ayala
1:06:43
Mhmm.
