H-2B Visa Program Shuts Down After Court Ruling
Last week, a Florida federal district court ruled that the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) lacked the authority to issue regulations for the H-2B visa program. The regulations in question were issued in 2008. Beginning on March 5, as a result of the court’s decision, DOL and the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Service (USCIS) stopped processing all applications for H-2B visas.
The H-2B program allows U.S. employers to bring foreign nationals into the country to fill temporary, low skilled jobs, including some construction occupations.
AGC is a member of a coalition of employer groups with a specific interest in the H-2B visa program issues. The H-2B Workforce Coalition recently issued a statementand memo in response to the court’s decision. At this time, there is no clear indication when the program will be restarted. AGC will continue to monitor the status of the program and will notify members of any changes.
For more information, please contact Jim Young at youngj@agc.org or (202) 547-0133. Return to Top