The Utah Center for Global Talent & New Americans
Offering assistance to Utah businesses and individuals navigating pathways for global talent and the best practices that promote economic opportunity for New Americans living in Utah.
Upcoming Events

The Utah State Legislature created the center during its 2021 general session with the passage of H.B. 404. In the 2023 legislative session, its name was later changed to the Utah Center for Global Talent & New Americans to reflect the broader immigrant integration strategies and the opportunities for immigrants to contribute to the state's economic advancement with S.B. 153.

The center assists individuals and businesses in navigating pathways to recruit and retain global talent. It also engages with state and federal government partners to convene, facilitate, and advise on immigration policy and strategies that promote economic opportunity for New Americans or foreign-born individuals living in Utah.

Global Talent
Assist individuals and businesses in Utah with identifying pathways for recruiting and retaining international employees and the foreign labor process.
Coordination
Coordinate with state agencies on developing and administering policies and programs related to immigrant integration.
Strategy
Develop and implement a statewide strategy for immigrant integration that promotes economic opportunities for immigrant communities in the state of Utah.
Convene
A task force to review and make recommendations regarding state policies on immigration; develop and sustain relationships with local officials, business sector, and community stakeholders.
Advise
Advise and make recommendations to the governor, state agencies and legislature regarding immigrant integration and foreign labor issues.
Building on Utah’s spirit of welcome: Governors Welcoming Week Video 2023
New Americans in Utah

New Americans are vital in Utah’s fast-growing and robust economy and most in-demand fields. New Americans, or any foreign-born individual, arrive in Utah for various reasons, such as refugees fleeing conflict, families reuniting after years of separation, parents seeking a better life for their children, students pursuing their education, or workers seeking to fill an occupation or profession. 

  • 272,134 immigrants in Utah or 8.5% of the population 
  • Tops countries from Mexico, India, Venezuela, Brazil and Canada
  • Immigrants contribute $613M in state and local taxes and $1.1B in federal taxes
  • Close to 10% of immigrants are entrepreneurs in Utah, and 8.5% of homeowners

The center convenes and coordinates with key stakeholders to educate and inform them on the issues facing Utah’s immigrant communities while uplifting immigrants' significant contributions to the state.

New Americans Task Force

One of the center's initiatives is the state's New Americans Taskforce, led in partnership with The Center for Economic Opportunity and Belonging, to maximize the economic opportunities, social inclusion, and civic potential for New Americans while reinforcing an environment of belonging in Utah. The center convenes over 175 stakeholders statewide representing nonprofits, businesses, industry associations, state and local government, faith-based communities, and individuals to inform on opportunities related to immigration in the state and for task force members to make recommendations on issues related to integration, with an emphasis on workforce and economic opportunity for all.

Last year, the New American Task Force hosted four convenings in Salt Lake, Ogden, Moab, and St. George. In March 2023, the Task Force brought together national partners and local practitioners on immigrant integration for a symposium in Logan, Utah. 

For more information on the New Americans Task Force, read the 2022 report and recommendations here.

Join the New Americans Task Force
Previous Events & Meetings
New American Task Force Partners
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Global Talent

The center addresses barriers and challenges an immigrant workforce faces and bridges opportunities for talent pathways to Utah’s most in-demand sectors and industries, so New Americans can put their skills and talents to work in Utah.

  • While the immigrant population is growing along with the other changing demographics in Utah, immigrants are more likely to be of prime working age and have a higher labor force participation rate than U.S.-born residents. 
  • Immigrants comprise 12.8% of physicians, 18.7% of manufacturing workers, 10% of other STEM industries, and over 20% of other essential industries like service, food, warehousing, and travel.
  • The New American Task Force surveyed over 6,500 internationally trained professionals and Utah newcomers to help identify ways these workers can contribute to Utah’s workforce. Over 80% of respondents held a bachelor's degree from their home country and averaged over 11 years of experience.
In 2023, The Center will lead a Utah cohort for the Skilled Immigrant Integration Program with World Education Services.
Immigration Assistance

The center provides resources and presentations to businesses and individuals on global talent, including guidance for employers on working with the existing immigrant workforce, navigating employment-based visa pathways, work authorization, naturalization, and more.

If you would like to learn more about immigration assistance please contact us to learn more.
Citizenship & Economic Opportunity

In Utah, nearly 60,000 individuals are eligible to become naturalized citizens. When New Americans naturalize, they earn higher wages, can access better jobs, and vote. People set down roots where they naturalize and become more active community members through home ownership and civic engagement.

In 2023, The center was awarded a grant from USCIS to build innovative strategies to deliver citizenship resources around the state—link here for the announcement.

USCIS Citizenship Resources
Immigration Legal Services

Immigration legal services and assistance are critical for businesses seeking to recruit and retain international talent and ensuring existing immigrants can access resources to maintain work authorization, lawful permanent residency, and naturalization.

To support businesses and individuals seeking legal assistance, the center seeks to establish a broader referral network with immigration legal assistance providers and to produce a legal services guide for businesses and individuals in Utah seeking immigration legal assistance.

Please complete this form to have your information included as a referral source for businesses and individuals seeking immigration legal services.

Tell Us More
Are you a business owner who has developed a talent pathway to recruit and retain New Americans or an immigrant who is building a new life to pursue your American Dream? We want to hear from you. Telling your story helps to highlight best practices in our state for immigrant integration and shows that we have more in common than differences.
Business Elevated Podcast