Kingston is a city of about 24,000 people in Ulster County, NY, about 10% of whom were born outside of the U.S. Historically an important source of industry, the city has recently become a haven for people looking to escape the high cost of living in New York City and the lower Hudson Valley. Many immigrants from Spanish-speaking countries in particular, such as El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico, have recently made Kingston their home. This recent immigration trend has helped to increase the city’s population at a time when New York State’s population as a whole has actually decreased since the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
Property Development
Even with Kingston’s more recent growth and development, many residents and town planners nonetheless understand the need to preserve the city’s unique history and character as the first capital city of New York in 1777. Some companies and developers specialize in developing historic buildings with a goal of revitalizing neighborhoods. And with the skills shortage in the construction and real estate industries, now is a good time for entrepreneurial immigrants to set up companies that meet these needs. E-2 investor visa applicants, for example, can stay long-term in the U.S. by investing in companies (either their own or someone else’s) that refurbish older properties or develop new ones in line with the city’s historic tradition. With qualified workers for these projects in such demand, other visa types may become an option such as the H-2b visa for temporary workers, or even green card sponsorship through the EB-3 program.
Immigrant Culture and History
Immigrants are finding Kingston to be a welcoming city today, but it’s important also to remember those who came before. The Reher Center for Immigrant Culture and History, located at 101 Broadway, occupies the site of a former bakery that served mostly working class and immigrant residents. Run by the Jewish immigrant Reher family, the bakery served “bread, canned goods, and gossip”, but today the site is a museum and cultural center dedicated to sharing immigrant stories from the Hudson Valley’s past and present.
Reservations for the Reher Center’s bakery tour are available online for Saturdays and Sundays at 11:30am, and visitors can also explore the gallery, which showcases historic photos of immigrants in Kingston and the greater Hudson Valley.
Kingston, NY Immigration Lawyer
If you live or work in Kingston and need to speak with an immigration attorney, please get in touch today. +1 845-288-2435 / info@beaconimmigration.net.
Beacon Immigration PLLC is a law firm located in the Hudson Valley of New York at 6 Eliza Street, Beacon, NY 12508 (Dutchess County).