Work Authorization Delays and Economic Integration of Asylum Seekers in the United States

Catalina Amuedo-Dorantes () and Jose Bucheli
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Catalina Amuedo-Dorantes: University of California, Merced
Jose Bucheli: University of Texas at El Paso

No 18462, IZA Discussion Papers from IZA Network @ LISER

Abstract: Access to the labor market is crucial for the economic integration of asylum seekers. This study estimates the causal impact of work authorization timing on the labor market outcomes of likely asylum seekers. We link USCIS administrative records with American Community Survey microdata and use congestion-driven variation in processing times within an instrumental variable framework. Faster authorization boosts labor force participation, employment, and earnings, while effects on hours worked and occupational choices are modest. The impacts are concentrated within the first decade after arrival and diminish over time, indicating that processing delays slow integration but do not permanently hinder it.

Keywords: asylum seekers; work authorization; labor market integration; United States (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J15 J61 J68 K37 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-03
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18462

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