Beginning in 2015, the equestrian industry has been jolted by changes to the H-2B temporary visa program.\u00a0 Competition stables and farms used to rely on the H-2B visa for their foreign workers during competition season: grooms, riders, and other temporary personnel.\u00a0 \u00a0Now more than a year after the initial changes, it\u2019s becoming clear that this visa no longer is viable for many employers and workers.<\/p>\n
Changes to the H-2B program began when it was challenged in a federal court lawsuit in 2015, and the program was put on hold temporarily.\u00a0 This disrupted many business owners\u2019 schedules, and they could not get H-2B visas for their workers in time.\u00a0 Now that the program has resumed, new rules have made the application process too expensive and too lengthy for realistic purposes.<\/p>\n
First, the H-2B visa is valid for only a 9-month work period, which does not cover the full competition season.\u00a0 Second, the new procedures require employers to publish lengthier recruitment ads in printed newspapers, increasing the employer\u2019s costs.\u00a0 Third, the application process now undergoes enormous scrutiny, with the government requesting additional information and documents throughout.\u00a0 It is virtually impossible to anticipate what information and documents will be requested, and these requests cannot be avoided.\u00a0 Not only do these requests increase employers\u2019 costs, but they also result in significant delays.\u00a0 Fourth and most distressing: employers cannot apply early to give time for these government delays.\u00a0 In other words, once the visa application is filed, it locks in the start date for employment, but government delays often push the case well beyond that start date.\u00a0 The worker does not get the visa in time, and when the visa is approved, its validity period has been shortened by weeks or months due to delay.<\/p>\n
While these new rules are more burdensome and costly, employers should remember that the U.S. government is protective of American jobs, and is not eager to grant work visas to foreign nationals.\u00a0 \u00a0Employment visas are not a simple thing to obtain, and now the H-2B visa has almost no value\u00a0for the equestrian industry. \u00a0This leaves employers with almost no options for the \u201caverage\u201d groom, exercise rider, assistant trainer, etc.<\/p>\n
Visit the\u00a0USCIS page<\/a>\u00a0for more information on H-2B visas. \u00a0 Visit\u00a0Hill & Piibe\u2019s page on Equestrian Immigration<\/a>.<\/p>\n This blog includes general information about legal issues and developments in the law. It is intended for informational purposes only and must not be taken as legal advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances. Contact a lawyer licensed in your jurisdiction for advice on specific legal issues and problems.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Beginning in 2015, the equestrian industry has been jolted by changes to the H-2B temporary visa program.\u00a0 Competition stables and farms used to rely on the H-2B visa for their foreign workers during competition season: grooms, riders, and other temporary personnel.\u00a0 \u00a0Now more than a year after the initial changes, it\u2019s becoming clear that this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":878,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-73","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-equestrian-immigration","category-visas"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n