Changes to US work permit rules affect retail recruiters
October 21 2009 by Liam Clifford
Retailers are told they will face changes in how they hire foreign workers
US
immigration has closed a loophole in H-2B US work permit application criteria
making it harder for mall retailers to bring in temporary Christmas workers from
Israel.
H-2B US visas are intended to facilitate the recruitment of seasonal
and temporary non-professional workers from abroad to fill labor shortages in
industries such as leisure and tourism.
However, the year-round mall
retail industry was using the US visas to bring in large numbers of Israeli sales
people for the annual holiday period.
US immigration has caught on to
this trend and has changed the rules to try to clamp down on this activity.
Applications for H-2B visas can now be submitted as little as 120 days before
the work in the US is due to begin. Formerly, applications had to be in at least
6 months in advance.
The changes have resulted in problems for mall
retailers, who previously relied upon the advance preparation that the six-month
buffer period lent them. With only 120 days notice, in which time US visa
applications can be accepted or rejected, retailers no longer have the time to
wait and see if immigrants' visas are approved.
In addition, firms that
are hiring for seasonal positions must prove that they are unable to fill the
jobs with American workers before hiring US work visa holders.
See the latest Immigration News
