Hotel Chain Showing Innovation for Immigration

By Timmy Watson in News on Mar 4, 2007 5:45PM

We previously wrote on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' (UCIS) updated test questions and increase in prices for the citizenship exam. One company, First Hospitality Groups, is taking steps to reduce some of the burden on those looking to become legal in the country. As the Sun-Times reports, the hotel chain, which has 12 hotels in the Chicago area, is offering a reimbursement of the $400 it costs for the naturalization process and gives workers a day off.

With over 600 employees, most of whom seek citizenship in the United States, the company seems to be looking out for employees in what is normally an exploitive situation where employees consistently get treatment better suited for involuntary servitude. In addition the company provides free classes teaching English as a second language.

The fees for the residency applications are due to go up this summer, so there will most likely be a push by groups such as Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, who partnered with First Hospitality Groups for the free classes, to get those that can take the test to do it now. With over 11 million illegal immigrants in the country we look forward to seeing more and more companies offering similar classes and reimbursements. With banks now offering additional products and credit to non-U.S. citizens it seems the private industry is starting to take steps the Federal Government has yet to address coherently.