The Cap Is Getting Close For H2B Visas
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Released
on: March 12, 2010, 12:04 am
Author:
Amanda Berkshire
Industry: Law
The Cap is getting close for H2B Visas
by Amanda Berkshire
Dallas, March 12th, 2010-This week the government released the latest count for the
H2B, and we are at 58,845. The H-2B, states immigration lawyer Steven Riznyk
(www.my-Immigration-Attorney.com) is a wonderful visa that allows employers with
peak load, seasonal, and intermittent needs to hire temporary foreign workers to
help them through. The H-2B does not have a degree requirement as contrasted to the
H1b, so there is no shortage of persons available for the type of work that requires
this assistance.
The only drawback to the H-2B, states Steven Riznyk, is that it requires the
position to be advertised, which adds to the cost, sometimes substantially. Although
this adds to the cost of the case, it is still a less expensive case than the H-1B
that has filing fees of $1570 or $2320. In addition, with the H1B, employers often
pay the $1000 Premium Processing fee in order to receive a rapid response. There is
a blanket petition available as long as the multiple workers (called beneficiaries)
conduct the same type of work on the same basis and in the same occupation and
locale. Unlike the H1B’s specific rules, the employee can pay for the legal and
filing fees of the case. If an employer terminates an employee, though, that
employer must provide transportation to return the person to their home country and
notify the USCIS. If an employer does not meet the conditions of the H2B or
willfully misrepresents a material fact, he or she could face a $10,000 fine per
violation, as well as be closed out of the petition process for 1-5 year term.
Workers who typically apply for the H-2B are in construction, health care,
hospitality, food service, and farming. The H2B can also be used for performers as
well as the technical and support personnel involved with the performance.
The H-2B can be filed up to 6 months before the need for the help arises; with most
positions beginning in October and April. The first step is to obtain Labor
Certification and that is where the advertising requirement enters into the picture.
The DOL (Department of Labor) deals with this aspect before you can even apply for
the visa. They do not allow you to obtain certification more than 120 days before
you have the need.
An annual allotment of 66,000 visas is available and the SOS (Save our Small and
Seasonal Businesses) Act of 2005 split it into two periods, 33,000 visas on October
1st and 33,000 visas on April 1st. The case has to be advertised in a local
newspaper for 3 consecutive days (one day must be on a Sunday) and it is placed in
an SWA (State Workforce Agency) job bank for 10 days. Renewals of the H2B visa are
not counted towards the annual cap, nor are spouses and children. In accordance
with the cap, no more than 33,000 can be issued in the first 6 months. The reason
for this was in the past, winter employees had an advantage, which then impacted the
availability of visas for summer workers.
In order to win an H-2B case, the employer must demonstrate a temporary need to the
position. It could be a peak-load, seasonal, one-time, or intermittent need.
Normally, the visa is issued for one year, but it can be renewed up to two more
times, for a total of three years. However, if a visa is renewed, a new labor
certificate is required. The numbers are counting down and if you are seeking an
H2B, pay attention to the countdown!
Immigration law has many challenges for both the public and immigration lawyers
alike. Part of the challenge is that people don’t understand immigration law, as it
is so complex. As a result, both officers and lawyers alike are faced with a public
that is scared by a system they don’t understand. Coincidentally, Steven Riznyk
spent a year and a half creating the first DVD that explains US Immigration law to
the world in simple language, and it can be found at
www.US-Immigration-Explained.com. If you would like to reach Steven Riznyk, his web
site is www.my-Immigration-Attorney.com, where you will find plenty of immigration
information, as well as his immigration and business blogs; his business blog brings
you into the world of running a company branch in Europe. His email is
sr@USAexplained.com.
Contact Details: 4925 Greenville Ave Suite 200 Dallas, TX 75206
214-329-1265
Fax - 310-388-5933
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