Description: Joint Labor-Public Economics Workshop/Job Market Talk: Xiaoyin Li

Location: 368A Heady Hall

Title: "Does Work Eligibility Work for Foreign-born Women? H-4 Visa Policy and Labor Outcomes"
Abstract: Foreign-born married women in the U.S. have historically lower labor force participation rates (LFPR) than comparable natives. In addition to family and individual characteristics discrepancies between foreign- and native-born women, foreign-born married women often face work restrictions according to their visa status in the U.S. This paper quantitatively explores labor market effects of an H-4 Employment Authorization Document (EAD) policy change, which allowed spouses of certain H-1B visa holders to work legally in the United States. I use American Community Survey data from 2010-2019 and the difference-in-differences approach to compare labor outcomes for selected noncitizens and naturalized citizens before and after the policy change, controlling for family and individual characteristics. I find that this policy change significantly increased LFPR and employment-to-population ratio (EPR) indicating that visa work restrictions keep some foreign-born women out of the labor market.

Contact person: John Winters