Welcome back to our “Meet the Candidates” series, where the congressional candidates respond to a question in 100 words or fewer. Answers will be published every Monday.
To see what candidates said previously on topics like foreign policy and housing, read their answers here.
CA-11, the congressional district that Connie Chan and Scott Wiener are running to represent, includes most of San Francisco. Some southern neighborhoods (the Excelsior, Portola, Visitacion Valley and Ingleside) are a part of a neighboring district.
Work visas have been a major political battleground since President Donald Trump returned to office.
His administration has sought to restrict employment-based immigration and visas, arguing that employers use these programs to undercut American workers, while employers and immigration advocates argue that they attract talent and help fill important but vacant positions.
In the Bay Area, tech firms have long relied on foreign workers, many of whom face uncertainty about their future because of visa restrictions and limited pathways to green cards.
This week’s question: Would you support an expansion of work visas? Would you support expanding pathways to obtaining a green card? Why or why not?
Scott Wiener
- Job: San Francisco’s State Senator
- Age: 56
- Residency: Homeowner, moved to San Francisco in 1997
- Transportation: Public transit and walking
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from Duke, law degree from Harvard
- Languages: English, Spanish
Yes to both. People from around the world come here to work and make our country better and stronger. We need a stronger pathway for them to do so.
We also must expand pathways to obtain a green card. For so many people, they face wait times of years or decades to obtain a green card. That’s ridiculous, and we need to reform this broken system.
Endorsed by: The California Democratic Party, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Sierra Club, San Francisco YIMBY, Grow SF, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, North Coast States Carpenters Union, Dolores Huerta … read more here.
Connie Chan
- Job: San Francisco District 1 Supervisor
- Age: 47
- Residency: Homeowner, has lived in San Francisco since she was 13
- Transportation: Driving, public transit, and walking
- Education: Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Davis
- Languages: English, Cantonese, Mandarin
Yes. My family immigrated to San Francisco when I was 13. I know personally that behind every visa application is someone hoping to reunite with loved ones, earn a living or finally have some certainty about their future.
I support expanding work visas with fair wages, strong labor protections and the freedom to change employers. Immigration policy should serve workers and families, not give corporations a captive workforce.
I also support expanding green card pathways and clearing backlogs. Immigrants deserve more than permission to work here. We deserve the security to build a life with a clear road to citizenship.
Endorsed by: Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff, Congressman Ro Khanna, California Federation of Labor Unions, SEIU California, San Francisco Labor Council, Working Families Party, San Francisco Tenant’s Union … read more here.
Candidates are ordered alphabetically and rotated each week. Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at io@missionlocal.com or yujie@missionlocal.com.
Election Day is on Nov. 3, 2026. You can register to vote via the sf.gov website.