Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/36891 
Year of Publication: 
2010
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 4972
Publisher: 
Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
Taking advantage of the ability to identify immigrants who were unauthorized to work prior to obtaining Legal Permanent Resident status, we use the New Immigrant Survey to examine whether lacking legal status to work in the U.S. constrains employment outcomes of illegal immigrants. With the exception of high-skilled unauthorized immigrants, the data fail to reveal evidence of improved employment outcomes attributable to legal status. In light of evidence that unauthorized immigrants experienced increased wages as a result of receiving amnesty through the 1986 Immigration and Reform Control Act during the 1990s, we interpret the results as evidence of ineffective employer sanctions.
Subjects: 
Unauthorized
illegal
undocumented
immigration
legalization
amnesty
JEL: 
J8
J15
J18
J31
J61
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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