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North Dakota Office of Legal Immigration Proposes Rebranding as Office of Global Talent

By Bill Dubensky Mar 10, 2025 | 5:31 AM

Katie Ralston Howe, director of workforce development for the North Dakota Department of Commerce. (Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)

 

 

(By:  . North Dakota Monitor) – The North Dakota Office of Legal Immigration, which some lawmakers wanted to eliminate, seeks a name change to better reflect the agency’s work.

The new name would be Office of Global Talent as proposed in an amendment to the budget bill for the Department of Commerce. The legislation, Senate Bill 2018, passed the Senate last month and advances to the House.

The proposal comes after Rep. Nico Rios, R-Williston, sponsored House Bill 1493 to get rid of the office entirely. That bill failed in the House on Feb. 18 with a 67-22 vote.

Katie Ralston Howe, director of the workforce division of the Department of Commerce, said the name Office of Global Talent better reflects the mission, which is helping employers attract talent from outside of the United States. The office does not process visa applications or work with foreign workers directly.

Lawmakers created the Office of Legal Immigration in 2023 as part of a solution to address ongoing workforce shortages across the state.

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