Update from Washington: Employer's Preview of Immigration Restrictions from the Administration
One of the most pressing issues facing seasonal businesses continues to be labor – specifically how to secure reliable employees to fill seasonal and permanent needs. Advertising does not always work and if you are lucky...more
The H-2B temporary non-agricultural worker visa programs has traditionally been the “go to” visa option for employers seeking to hire foreign nationals coming to the United States to fill non-professional or non-degreed...more
Amid the ever-evolving landscape of business and workforce dynamics, the recent buzz around the H-2B visa lottery has sent ripples of anticipation and concern through companies reliant on foreign workers. As immigration and...more
The Beltway Buzz is a weekly update summarizing labor and employment news from inside the Beltway and clarifying how what’s happening in Washington, D.C., could impact your business....more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced that as of March 7, 2024, the H-2B cap had been reached for the second half of fiscal year (FY) 2024....more
There has recently been a flurry of new Federal Register notices issued by U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) relating to fees and reimbursements for a myriad of visa...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced that as of January 9, 2024, the additional returning H-2B worker allotment of 20,716 visas for the first half of fiscal year (FY) 2024 (October 1, 2023, to...more
The U.S. Department of Labor recently distributed randomized H-2B group assignments. In the past, there have been a sufficient number of visas reserved for Group A to meet the initial visa cap of 33,000. Group A and Group B...more
In an effort to address the growing demand for H-2B visas, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Labor (DOL) have collaborated to introduce a temporary rule for FY 2024. This rule will increase the...more
On November 3, 2023, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“D.H.S.”) with support of the Department of Labor (“D.O.L.”) announced that it expects to make available an additional 64,716 H-2B temporary nonagricultural visas...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced that as of October 11, 2023, the H-2B cap for nonagricultural workers had been reached for the first half of fiscal year 2024....more
Following reports of competing bills in the House and Senate, the U.S. government is potentially headed for a shutdown, which would begin on October 1, 2023, the beginning of the 2024 fiscal year. This would directly affect...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services - With a partial government shutdown still potentially imminent, here is an overview of the potential impacts on employers and business immigration services....more
Employers seeking to hire a non-US worker on a permanent basis are generally required to undertake a lengthy, complex sponsorship process involving both the Department of Labor (“DOL”) and the United States Citizenship and...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced that as of March 30, 2023, the supplemental H-2B cap for returning workers had been reached for the early second half of fiscal year (FY) 2023. As part...more
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has provided guidance on the additional 64,716 H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas available for fiscal year 2023. H-2B visas allow employers to bring workers to the United...more
It’s hard to believe, but it is already time to start planning for your labor needs for Spring 2023. As we know, finding, hiring, developing, and retaining adequate labor resources are some of the most vexing challenges for...more
As they did for last summer, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Labor (DOL) will make available an additional 35,000 H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas for the second half of FY 2022....more
To help employers dealing with labor shortages due to the limits on H-2B temporary, seasonal visas, a new rule published by the Department of Labor (DOL) increases the H-2B numerical limits. DOL also released a rule that...more
By June 1, 2021, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had received more H-2B visas petitions than the allotted 16,000 slots for returning workers. A lottery will be conducted to determine which petitions will be accepted for...more
Last month, President Joe Biden (“President Biden”) wrapped up his first 100 days as President of the United States – focusing on a myriad of issues from the Coronavirus pandemic (“COVID-19”) to America’s immigration system....more
It has been widely reported that President Biden will not renew the June 2020 Presidential Proclamation, which restricted the entry of H-1B, H-2B, L-1, and certain J-1 travelers into the United States. This nonimmigrant visa...more
The Biden-Harris administration has allowed Presidential Proclamation 10052 (PP 10052) to expire as of March 31. PP 10052, implemented by the previous administration in June 2020, had suspended the issuance of certain...more