S. 3157 

One Hundred Seventeenth Congress 

of the 

United States of America 

AT THE SECOND SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday, 

the third day of January, two thousand and twenty two 

An Act 

To require the Secretary of Labor to conduct a study of the factors affecting employment opportunities for immigrants and refugees with professional credentials 

obtained in foreign countries. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Bridging the Gap for New 

Americans Act’’. 

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

In this Act: 

(1) APPLICABLE IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES.—The term 

‘‘applicable immigrants and refugees’’— 

(A) means individuals who— 

(i)(I) are not citizens or nationals of the United 

States; and 

(II) are lawfully present in the United States and 

authorized to be employed in the United States; or 

(ii) are naturalized citizens of the United States 

who were born outside of the United States and its 

outlying possessions; and 

(B) includes individuals described in section 602(b)(2) 

of the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009 (title VI of 

division F of Public Law 111–8; 8 U.S.C. 1101 note). 

(2) OTHER TERMS.—Except as otherwise defined in this 

section, terms used in this Act have the definitions given such 

terms under section 101(a) of the Immigration and Nationality 

Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)). 

SEC. 3. STUDY ON FACTORS AFFECTING EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES WITH PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS OBTAINED IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 

(a) STUDY REQUIRED.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Labor, in coordination 

with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Education, the 

Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of 

Commerce, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Administrator of the Internal Revenue Service, and the Commissioner 

of the Social Security Administration, shall conduct a study 

of the factors affecting employment opportunities in the United 

States for applicable immigrants and refugees who have professional credentials that were obtained in a country other than 

the United States. 
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(2) WORK WITH OTHER ENTITIES.—The Secretary of Labor 

shall seek to work with relevant nonprofit organizations and 

State agencies to use the existing data and resources of such 

entities to conduct the study required under paragraph (1). 

(3) LIMITATIONS ON DISCLOSURE.—Any information provided to the Secretary of Labor in connection with the study 

required under paragraph (1)— 

(A) may only be used for the purposes of, and to the 

extent necessary to ensure the efficient operation of, such 

study; and 

(B) may not be disclosed to any other person or entity 

except as provided under this subsection. 

(b) INCLUSIONS.—The study required under subsection (a)(1) 

shall include— 

(1) an analysis of the employment history of applicable 

immigrants and refugees admitted to the United States during 

the 5-year period immediately preceding the date of the enactment of this Act, which shall include, to the extent practicable— 

(A) a comparison of the employment applicable 

immigrants and refugees held before immigrating to the 

United States with the employment they obtained in the 

United States, if any, since their arrival; and 

(B) the occupational and professional credentials and 

academic degrees held by applicable immigrants and refugees before immigrating to the United States; 

(2) an assessment of any barriers that prevent applicable 

immigrants and refugees from using occupational experience 

obtained outside the United States to obtain employment in 

the United States; 

(3) an analysis of available public and private resources 

assisting applicable immigrants and refugees who have professional experience and qualifications obtained outside of the 

United States to obtain skill-appropriate employment in the 

United States; and 

(4) policy recommendations for better enabling applicable 

immigrants and refugees who have professional experience and 

qualifications obtained outside of the United States to obtain 

skill-appropriate employment in the United States. 

(c) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the date of the 

enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Labor shall— 

(1) submit a report to Congress that describes the results 

of the study conducted pursuant to subsection (a); and 
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(2) make such report publicly available on the website 

of the Department of Labor. 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.