Category: H-2B

By statute, the Ombudsman of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) submits an Annual Report to Congress by June 30 of each year. The report summarizes the most pervasive and serious problems encountered by individuals and employers applying for immigration benefits with USCIS. The Annual Report also reviews past recommendations to improve USCIS programs and… Read More

On March 21, 2016, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has received a sufficient number of petitions to reach the congressionally mandated H-2B cap for the first half of fiscal year (FY) 2016. March 15, 2016, was the final receipt date for new H-2B worker petitions requesting an employment start date before… Read More

Responding to new requirements contained in the 2016 Department of Labor Appropriations Act, which was signed into law on December 18, 2015, as part of the omnibus spending bill mentioned in the prior article, the Labor Department’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) has provided emergency guidance (PDF) to employers seeking to employ nonimmigrant workers… Read More

Effective January 18, 2016, USCIS and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in consultation with the Department of State, are adding Andorra, Belgium, Brunei, Colombia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, San Marino, Singapore, Taiwan, and Timor-Leste to the list of countries whose nationals are eligible to participate in the H-2A and H-2B… Read More

On June 5, 2015, USCIS reopened the congressionally mandated fiscal year (FY) 2015 cap and is accepting petitions requesting new H-2B temporary nonagricultural workers with an employment start date between April 1 and September 30, 2015. USCIS explained that its role in managing the H-2B cap involves ensuring that enough Form I-129 (Petition for a… Read More