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
Want to know more about the 2025 H-2A Visa Program? Besides reading the below deep dive, you can register for our September 10 webinar, where we'll discuss the 2025 process, employer obligations and compliance requirements,...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
The H-2A program plays a significant role in supporting the agricultural industry in the United States, including North Carolina. The program is instrumental because domestic labor often falls short in meeting the demands for...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
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
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
It’s hard to keep up with all the recent changes to labor and employment law. While the law always seems to evolve at a rapid pace, there have been an unprecedented number of changes for the past few years—and this past month...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
Beginning October 2, 2020, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) will be increasing its filing fees for many of the most commonly filed benefit requests. Applications or petitions postmarked on or after that date...more
Due to the continuation of the COVID-19 national emergency, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has decided to continue its temporary loosening of H-2A rules to make it easier to employ temporary, seasonal agricultural...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: U.S. employers, applicants for immigration benefits, and other stakeholders should be aware of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) application fee increases and form changes...more
COVID-19 has caused significant disruptions in every aspect of our daily lives. Several policies have been enacted, affecting millions of foreign national workers, both in the U.S. and abroad, along with the businesses that...more
In light of the impact of COVID-19 on the U.S. labor market, on Monday President Trump tweeted “I will be issuing a temporary suspension of immigration into the United States.” Yesterday, the President signed an Executive...more
On December 16, 2014, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), in consultation with Department of State, added five new countries to the list of countries eligible...more
The government officially reopened on October 17, 2013 after a shutdown that started on October 1. The shutdown had substantial immigration consequences for employers (which were explained in detail here and here). At least...more