A Senate Appropriations Subcommittee recently held a hearing on the fiscal year 2013 Department of Labor (DOL) budget request. One of several topics discussed was the new program rule changes for the H-2B visa temporary worker program that are effective as of April 23, 2012. The new rule could present challenges for those businesses employing H-2B workers, including owners and trainers in the Thoroughbred industry.
Click here to read more about the H-2B visa program changes.
Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis testified at the hearing and several Senators voiced their concerns to her over the proposed H-2B visa program changes. Ranking Member Richard Shelby (R-AL), Full Committee Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-MS) and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) identified potential burdens on employers and questioned whether the H-2B program could continue under the new program rule. Read the complete hearing report here.
The last of three scheduled DOL webinars for employers to become more familiar with the new requirements and have their questions answered by Department officials is Tuesday, March 27 from 1:30 p.m. EDT to 4:00 p.m. EDT. To access the webinar, visit this web site and dial 1-888-810-9161 to participate (enter access code 739731 when prompted).