A variety of different types of visas are available to foreign nationals who want to come to California or elsewhere in the United States. These include visas for tourists as well as for workers. In April, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that the agency will be making an additional 22,000 non-agriculture temporary worker visas available over the next two to three months.
Reason behind additional non-agriculture worker visas
In announcing the availability of additional temporary non-agriculture worker visas, also known as H-2B visas, the Department of Homeland Security enumerated the rationale behind the move. DHS advised that as the nation’s economy recovers, the government wants to ensure that businesses have access to appropriate resources to move forward successfully. This includes access to appropriate human resources.
Market test for H-2B workers
In order to take advantage of this type of employment immigration, employers must test the U.S. labor market. Via this test process, they must certify that they are not able to find enough U.S. workers willing, able, qualified and available to do necessary temporary work. This labor market test and certification must be included in a petition submitted by employers seeking this type of visa authorization.
The expansion of the number of temporary non-agriculture worker visas is available only in the current federal fiscal year. This action is not designed to establish such an expansion of available H-2B worker visas into future years. Individuals who have questions about how to take advantage of the increase in visas may want to reach out to an immigration law attorney. An attorney may help employers ensure that they meet all federal stipulations for requesting worker visas.