Thousands of refugees who entered this country as visitors or students will be able to take jobs without special government approval, Attorney General Francis Bidle announced today.
Up to now, aliens here as visitors or students have submitted applications for permission to work to the Immigration and Naturalization Service whenever they wanted to take jobs or start in business. Now this will be unnecessary. The Justice Department explained that a vast majority of aliens holding temporary visas have been unable to return home because of the war and must earn their living.
Earl G. Harrison, Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization, said a survey of recent applications showed that nearly all were justifiable, and that the present move would help ease serious labor shortages in war industry in various sections of the country. “By making it easier for temporary residents to accept employment,” Mr. Harrison said, “we are merely adhering to the policy of our government to make use of all available manpower to win the war.”
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