- The failure to move forward with this rule is a significant disappointment for many high-skilled immigrants and the employers who need them, all
Department of Labor
Immigration Hurdles Ahead: What Employers Can Expect from the Second Trump Administration
President-Elect Donald Trump is promising sweeping changes to the U.S. immigration system, with a focus on ramping up enforcement and the removal of undocumented immigrants. We can look to his first term, along with his campaign platform, to anticipate upcoming immigration action.
We expect President Trump will take swift action in the following areas through…
Nearly 65,000 H-2B Visas Released: What Employers Need to Know
The Department of Homeland Security has released an additional 64,716 H-2B temporary visas for non-agricultural workers. The additional visas will help employers in hospitality, tourism, landscaping, construction, seafood processing, and others that employ temporary seasonal workers.
Of the newly released visas, 44,716 are divided in three allocations (between Oct. 1, 2024, and Sept. 30, 2025)…
Mississippi Court Blocks DOL’s Grant of Organizing Protections to H-2A Farmworkers
On Nov. 25, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi blocked enforcement of the Department of Labor (DOL) rule granting organizing protections to farmworkers on temporary H-2A visas by entering a nationwide injunction.
The decision follows the August 26 ruling by a federal court in Georgia blocking enforcement of the DOL…
What Illinois Employers Using E-Verify Should Know About the New Requirements Effective 2025
An amendment to the Illinois Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act going into effect on Jan. 1, 2025, imposes many new obligations on employers regarding the use of E-Verify – some that go beyond federal E-Verify requirements. The Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) has published guidance on the law that also clarifies that the…
Will DOL Update Schedule A List to Address Labor Shortages?
The Schedule A list of occupations that do not require the employer to conduct a labor market test (a PERM labor certification) as part of a green card application process has not been updated in at least 20 years. Almost a year ago, in December 2023, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued a Request for…
How to Navigate FLAG System Updated for New H-2A Farmworker Visa Rule and Court Order
The Department of Labor (DOL) announced its H-2A Transition Plan for updating its Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) system based on the preliminary injunction (known as the Kansas Order) issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Southern Georgia. That order prevents the DOL from enforcing its new H-2A Farmworker Visa Rule against…
Illinois Enacts Additional Employee Protections on Employers’ E-Verify Use
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has signed an amendment to the Illinois Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act that provides additional employee protections regarding employers’ use of E-Verify. The amendment’s effective date is Jan. 1, 2025, and applies to both private and public employers.
Illinois already had specific rules to ensure that E-Verify is…
DOL: Indefinite Delay in FLAG System Update for New H-2A Farmworker Visa Rule
The Department of Labor (DOL) has decided to delay updating its Foreign Labor Application Gateway, or FLAG, case processing system to implement revised H-2A job order and application forms for the new 2024 Farmworkers Protection Final Rule until further notice. For now, H-2A job orders and applications will continue to be received and processed under…
Judge Blocks New DOL H-2A Farmworker Visa Rule in 17 States
Seventeen states joined in a suit in June to block the Department of Labor (DOL) from enforcing its new rule providing more protections to farmworkers employed as H-2A temporary visa holders. Now, Judge Lisa Godbey Wood of the U.S. District Court for the District of Southern Georgia has granted a preliminary injunction preventing the DOL…