Bill would allow immigrant professionals to work

Senator John Sabini introduced a legislation bill earlier this week that would allow immigrant professionals to practice in New York. The bill will reach the Senate floor in a few weeks but is presently in the hands of the Higher Education committee.
According to Sabini’s office, the bill “would allow immigrants who are trained professionals in a specific field in their home country to practice in New York if they pass all applicable certifications.”
Statistics from Sabini’s office show that immigrants here are experienced practitioners in their own country in 13 out of 39 fields that require citizen or permanent resident status for licensure.
Because of the long process of obtaining status, individuals would not be able to provide their skills in fields, such as pharmacy, dentistry and engineering. Some “might be able to fill niches; such as the crucial need for public health employees who speak Spanish.”
“This bill will maximize the potential of our residents so that we all benefit,” Sabini said. “It can take a very long time for immigrants to achieve citizenship or permanent residency status. Qualified candidates may wait for years to be able to practice their specialties in our neighborhoods, while we suffer from a shortage of professionals in many of these fields.”
The release stated that the current law causes several difficulties even if their neighborhood, like Elmhurst and Corona, need qualified professionals.
Michael Lapenna, an engineer with Canadian citizenship, moved to New Jersey in 1996 where he was able to become a professional in his field. However, he ran into several roadblocks when he applied in New York.
“I don’t think of myself as an applicant from Canada,” Lapenna said. “I’m just a Jersey engineer who moved to Brooklyn and wants a license in the city and state. Anyone who meets the technical qualifications for licensure should be able to get a license. Citizenship has no bearing on a person’s engineering abilities and should not be a licensing consideration.”
Sabini added, “Before this bill, the law discriminated against immigrants and held back our best and brightest from serving the community. If you’re qualified to practice, unnecessary burdens shouldn’t get in your way.”