without anything, it’s very hard. You can’t do practically anything.” Travel Restrictions Undocumented stateless persons are restricted from international travel, and those under orders of supervision cannot travel outside of their US state of residence or region. These travel restrictions curtail their ability to visit family members abroad and domestically. One woman born in the Soviet Union had been separated from her son, who resides in Russia, for more than 26 years. She cannot travel to Russia, and her son cannot secure a visa to the United States. Without legal permanent residency, she cannot sponsor her son for a visa. Moreover, she cannot leave her US state for more than three days at a time, which limits her ability to visit family and friends. When she could not travel abroad to visit her dying father, a woman born in Uzbekistan tried to travel back to the country where she had previously lived. Travel restrictions can also negatively impact stateless persons’ careers. One stateless Eritrean reported that his wife, who is stateless and on a student visa, cannot travel to conferences due to her status. He emphasized that the inability to travel internationally had hurt their career prospects. Employment Consequences Undocumented stateless interviewees worked as caterers, construction workers, gas station attendants, house cleaners and freelance artists. Respondents with work authorization reported working as customer representatives, restaurant owners, nurse assistants, teachers, registered nurses, mental health workers, dental technicians, laundromat workers, and factory workers. “Most of the companies won’t take you,” said one stateless man from Russia who lacked US immigration status. “They want somebody [with documents].” Several reported earning low wages, sometimes barely enough to survive. The same man noted “The quality of living: it was very low. I was making practically just enough to survive. Sometimes not even that.” A man of mixed Eritrean/Ethiopian descent noted that his low salary makes it difficult for him to pay his legal fees. Some stateless persons, namely those under orders of supervision, receive employment authorization, which they must renew annually. Many have reported difficulties caused by delays in issuing work re-authorization. Lapses in work authorization make it difficult for stateless persons to advance in the workplace or even retain their positions. Economic Hardships Due to their lack of identity documents, many stateless persons cannot obtain loans, credit cards, investment accounts or basic bank accounts. In addition, some stated they could not plan financially for their future. “Investment groups deny you retirement accounts,” one person noted. “Last year I had to go to three different investment groups that I had a retirement account and my daughter’s school account with. They take it in. Then three months later they are like, ‘either we are going to sell all your things or you remove your account.’” Statelessness also stifles entrepreneurship as some stateless struggle to complete the necessary forms and paperwork to start and maintain a business, further limiting their ability to support themselves. 71