Update from Washington: Employer's Preview of Immigration Restrictions from the Administration
DOL Announces Minimum Wage Rate Change for Federal Contractors The Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division issued a notice setting a new minimum wage rate of $13.65 per hour for workers performing work on or in...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
Seasonal employers who rely on the H-2B program just received some long-awaited relief — along with a few new compliance hurdles to keep in mind....more
If you filed an H-2B petition for an April 1, 2026, start date, the results of this year’s lottery process likely came as no surprise — demand is once again at an all-time high, and the math simply does not work in favor of...more
NLRB Has a Quorum! On January 7, Senate-confirmed National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) nominees James Murphy and Scott Mayer were sworn in as new Board members, giving the Board a 2-1 Republican majority. The Board now has...more
The federal appeals court in the District of Columbia has placed a temporary administrative stay on implementation of a recent Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) interim final rule that would limit issuance...more
On October 31, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced the resumption of processing for employer requests related to prevailing wage determinations and labor certifications for both temporary and permanent...more
The Department of Labor (DOL), Office of the Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC), has resumed processing of applications for both temporary and permanent employment programs despite the continued government shutdown....more
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has announced that it has strengthened requirements for issuance and renewal of commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) for non-domiciled applicants individuals. The...more
The H-2B visa allows United States employers who anticipate a shortage of domestic workers to bring nonimmigrant foreign workers to the United States to perform non-agricultural labor or services of a temporary nature. This...more
The Immigration Team at Harris Beach Murtha invites you to join us for our 2025 Seasonal Business Labor and Immigration Compliance Webinar Series....more
As of 12:01 a.m. October 1, the federal government shut down. This has closed multiple federal agencies, including certain functions of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Businesses and individuals should be aware of the...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
The Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) has relaunched its voluntary Payroll Audit Independent Determination (PAID) program, the agency announced July 24, 2025. The PAID program is an opportunity for employers...more
On March 25, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the H-2B cap for the second half of fiscal year (FY) 2025 was met on March 5, 2025. ...more
By Samantha Wolfe The United States faces a critical shortage of healthcare professionals, particularly in rural areas. Hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics struggle to find qualified workers, leading to increased patient...more
President Trump’s promise to carry out the largest deportation of undocumented individuals while simultaneously limiting the immigration of foreign workers is causing unique concerns in the hospitality industry. From resorts...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that as of January 7, 2025, the additional returning H-2B worker allotment of 20,716 visas for the first half of fiscal year (FY) 2025 (October 1, 2024, to March...more
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a Final Rule for the H-2A and H-2B temporary worker programs that will become effective on Jan. 17, 2025. The Rule is aimed at modernizing the regulations governing the...more
It’s hard to keep up with all the recent changes to labor and employment law, especially since the law always seems to evolve at a rapid pace. In order to ensure you stay on top of the latest changes and have an action plan...more
On December 18, 2024, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published the final version of the H-2 program modernization rule. The final rule amends DHS regulations for both H-2A (temporary agricultural workers) and...more
Federal immigration officials announced final rules to modernize the H-2A and H-2B temporary worker programs last week in an effort to enhance flexibility, strengthen worker protections, and improve program efficiency...more
On December 2, 2024, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Labor (DOL) published a temporary final rule (TFR) making nearly 65,000 more H-2B visas available for fiscal year (FY) 2025. DHS has...more
The Department of Homeland Security has released an additional 64,716 H-2B temporary visas for non-agricultural workers. The additional visas will help employers in hospitality, tourism, landscaping, construction, seafood...more