Ho w to E mplo y L e g a l T e mpo ra ry L a b o r Pa rtic ipa - PDF document

4/ 12/ 2017 Ho w to E mplo y L e g a l T e mpo ra ry L a b o r Pa rtic ipa tio n in the H-2A T e mpo ra ry Ag ric ultura l Pro g ra m 1-877-422-3392 www.fe wa g lo b a l.o rg 1

4/ 12/ 2017 1-877-422-3392 www.fe wa g lo b a l.o rg Arnulfo Hino jo sa is the Vic e Ja rro d Sha rp is the Ge ne ra l Pre side nt fo r the F e de ra tio n o f Co unse l a t F E WA. He is E mplo ye rs a nd Wo rke rs o f re spo nsible fo r a dvising the Asso c ia tio n a nd its sta ff in le g al Ame ric a . Mr. Hino jo sa ha s b e e n ma tte rs a s we ll a s sta ying c urre nt a ppro ve d b y the US De pa rtme nt o n le g isla tive a nd re g ula to ry o f Justic e Bo a rd o f I mmig ra tio n issue s tha t c o uld impa c t F E WA Appe als (BI A) a s a n Ac c re dite d me mb e rs. He ha s b e e n invo lve d Re pre se nta tive fo r F E WA in pre se nting va rio us e duc a tio na l F o unda tio n. T his de sig na tio n pro g ra ms inc luding we b ina rs, ta ke s into c o nside ra tio n his c o nfe re nc e spe a king e xpe rie nc e a nd kno wle dg e o f e ng a g e me nts, writte n a rtic le s, e tc . immig ra tio n la w a nd pro c e dure , a nd it a utho rize s him to pra c tic e Ja rro d g ra dua te d c um la ude b e fo re the De pa rtme nt o f with a Do c to r o f Jurisprude nc e Ho me la nd Se c urity. fro m the Unive rsity o f Ho usto n L a w Ce nte r in 2010. He Mr. Hino jo sa is b iling ua l g ra dua te d summa c um la ude (E ng lish/ Spa nish) a nd his Hispa nic with a Ba c he lo r o f Busine ss he rita g e a nd c ulture g ive s him a Administra tio n fro m the Unive rsity uniq ue insig ht to the Hispa nic o f Ho usto n in 2005. He ha s b e e n a me mb e r o f nume ro us ho no r wo rk fo rc e in to da y's Ame ric a . so c ie tie s and vo lunte e r o rg a niza tio ns. 2

4/ 12/ 2017 Disc la ime r  T he ma te ria ls in this pre se nta tio n a re g e ne ra l in na ture a nd a re fo r info rma tio na l purpo se s o nly; the y a re no t o ffe re d fo r a nd do no t c o nstitute spe c ific le g a l a dvic e . No thing pro vide d within this pre se nta tio n sho uld b e use d a s a sub stitute fo r the a dvic e o f yo ur o wn inde pe nde nt c o unse l. 3

4/ 12/ 2017 Wha t is the H-2A Pro g ra m?  T he H-2A Pro g ra m is a utho rize d unde r the I mmig ra tio n a nd Na tio na lity Ac t (I NA) a nd a llo ws a U.S. e mplo ye r to hire fo re ig n wo rke rs o n a te mpo ra ry b a sis to pe rfo rm a g ric ultura l wo rk whe n the re a re no t suffic ie nt U.S. wo rke rs a va ila b le . 1 1 USDOL E mplo ye r Guide to Partic ipatio n in the H-2A T e mpo rary Ag ric ultural Pro g ram 4

4/ 12/ 2017 Ba sic Crite ria fo r Pa rtic ipa tio n  T he U.S. e mplo ye r must ha ve full-time wo rk tha t ne e ds to b e pe rfo rme d o n a te mpo ra ry se a so na l b a sis. 1  E mploye r must ha ve a physic a l pla c e o f b usine ss in the U.S., ha ve a F E I N, a nd a b ility to hire , pa y, fire , supe rvise , o r o the rwise c o ntro l the wo rk o f the wo rke rs e mplo ye d; 1  T he wo rk must c o nsist o f agr ic ultur al la b o r o r se rvic e s, suc h a s pla nting , ra ising , c ultiva ting , ha rve sting , o r pro duc tio n o f a ny a g ric ultura l o r ho rtic ultura l c o mmo dity; 1  T he wo rk must b e full-time (a t le a st 35 ho urs/ we e k); a nd 1  T he ne e d fo r the wo rk must b e se asonal or y in te mpor ar na ture a nd tie d to a c e rta in time o f the ye a r b y re c urring e ve nts o r pa tte rns, suc h a s a n a nnua l g ro wing c yc le , no rma lly la sting 10 mo nths o r le ss. 1  Qua lific a tio ns do no t sub sta ntia lly de via te fro m the nor mal and ac c e pte d qualific ations re q uire d b y no n-H2A e mplo ye rs in the sa me o r c o mpa ra b le o c c upa tio ns a nd c ro ps. 4 1 USDOL E mplo ye r Guide to Partic ipatio n in the H-2A T e mpo rary Ag ric ultural Pro g ram 4 E T A F o rm 9142-Appe ndix A 5

4/ 12/ 2017 Wha t Ag e nc ie s a re I nvo lve d?  State Wor kfor c e Age nc y (SWA) a ssists with the pro c e ssing o f the a g ric ultura l jo b o rde r a nd with U.S. wo rke r re c ruitme nt. 1  T ) must issue a he U.S. De par tme nt of L abor (USDOL c e rtific a tio n indic a ting tha t q ua lifie d U.S. wo rke rs a re no t a va ila b le fo r the jo b a nd the e mplo yme nt o f te mpo ra ry fo re ig n wo rke rs will no t a dve rse ly a ffe c t the wa g e s a nd wo rking c o nditio ns o f U.S. wo rke rs simila rly e mplo ye d. 1  T he U.S. Citize nship and Immigr ation Se r vic e s (USCIS) must the n a ppro ve a visa pe titio n. 1  T he U.S. De par tme nt of State (DOS) thro ug h U.S. Co nsula te s a b ro a d sc re e ns individua l wo rke rs a nd issue s visa s fo r a pplic a b le wo rke rs.  T he USDOL Wage and Hour Division (WHD) e nfo rc e s the te rms a nd c o nditio ns o f the wo rke r pro te c tio ns unde r the H-2A pro g ra m. 1 1 USDOL E mplo ye r Guide to Partic ipatio n in the H-2A T e mpo rary Ag ric ultural Pro g ram 6

4/ 12/ 2017 Ba sic Pro c e ss E le me nts (no t in c hro no lo g ic a l o rde r)  Ag ric ultura l jo b o rde r re q ue st must b e file d with the SWA no mo re tha n 75 c a le nda r da ys a nd no le ss tha n 60 c a le nda r da ys b e fo re the da te o f ne e d. 1  E mplo ye r a pplic a tio n pa c ka g e s sub mitte d to USDOL (a t le a st 45 c a le nda r da ys b e fo re da te o f ne e d 1 ), USCI S, a nd individua l wo rke rs pro c e ssing a t c o nsula r lo c a tio ns will ha ve the ir o wn a pplic a tio ns to sub mit.  Re c ruitme nt o f U.S. Wo rke rs: Jo b o rde r, ne wspa pe r a dve rtise me nts, a nd re po rting to the USDOL o n the re sults o f re c ruitme nt. 1 1 USDOL E mplo ye r Guide to Partic ipatio n in the H-2A T e mpo rary Ag ric ultural Pro g ram 7

4/ 12/ 2017 Ba sic Pro c e ss E le me nts Co ntinue d 8

4/ 12/ 2017 Co nc e pts, Ob lig a tio ns, Assura nc e s, & E nfo rc e me nt 9

4/ 12/ 2017 Co rre spo nding E mplo yme nt  T he De pa rtme nt o f L a b o r’ s re g ula tio ns g o ve rning the H-2A Pro g ra m a lso a pply to the e mplo yme nt o f U.S. wo rke rs b y a n e mplo ye r o f H-2A wo rke rs in a ny wo rk inc lude d in the a ppro ve d jo b o rde r o r in a ny a g ric ultura l wo rk pe rfo rme d b y the H- 2A wo rke rs during the pe rio d o f the jo b o rde r. 2 2 WHD F a c t She e t # 26: Se c tio n H-2A o f the I mmig ra tio n a nd Na tio na lity Ac t (I NA) 10

4/ 12/ 2017 Offe r o f E mplo yme nt to U.S. Wo rke rs  Pr ohibite d : Must o ffe r U.S. wo rke rs e fe r e ntial T r e atme nt Pr te rms a nd wo rking c o nditio ns whic h a re no t le ss fa vo ra b le tha n tho se o ffe re d to H-2A wo rke rs 3  Ma y no t impo se a ny re stric tio ns o r o b lig a tio ns o n U.S. wo rke rs tha t will no t a lso b e impo se d o n H-2A wo rke rs 3  Positive Re c r uitme nt : I nde pe nde ntly c o nduc t DOL - spe c ifie d re c ruitme nt a c tivitie s a nd c o o pe ra te with the SWA b y a c c e pting re fe rra ls o f e lig ib le U.S. wo rke rs 3  50% R ule : Pro vide e mplo yme nt to a ny q ua lifie d, e lig ib le U.S. wo rke r who a pplie s fo r the jo b o ppo rtunity until 50% o f the pe rio d o f the wo rk c o ntra c t ha s e la pse d 3 3 WHD Ag ric ultura l E nfo rc e me nt: H-2A Pre se ntatio n, Ma rc h 2010 11

4/ 12/ 2017 L a yo ff a nd Displa c e me nt o f U.S. Wo rke rs  No layoffs within 60 da ys o f the da te o f ne e d, e xc e pt fo r la wful, jo b -re la te d re a so ns 3  I f suc h a la yo ff ha s o c c urre d, the e mplo ye r must first o ffe r the jo b o ppo rtunity to tho se la id-o ff U.S. wo rke rs b e fo re hiring a ny H-2A wo rke rs. 3 E mplo ye rs ma y o nly re je c t e lig ib le U.S. wo rke rs fo r la wful, jo b -re la te d re a so ns. 4  Applie s to a ny simila rly e mplo ye d U.S. wo rke r in the o c c upa tio n tha t is the sub je c t o f the Applic a tio n in the a re a o f inte nde d e mplo yme nt 3  During the c o ntra c t pe rio d, pe rmissib le o nly if a ll H-2A wo rke rs a re la id o ff b e fo re a ny U.S. wo rke r in c o rre spo nding e mplo yme nt 3 3 WHD Ag ric ultura l E nfo rc e me nt: H-2A Pre se ntatio n, Ma rc h 2010 4 E T A F o rm 9142-Appe ndix A 12

4/ 12/ 2017 Pa yme nt o f Re q uire d Wa g e s  Hig he st o f the fo llo wing a pplic a b le ra te s in me d : 3 e ffe c t at the time wor k is pe r for  Adve rse E ffe c t Wa g e Ra te (AE WR)  Pre va iling wa g e  Ag re e d-upo n c o lle c tive b a rg a ining ra te  F e de ra l o r Sta te minimum wa g e  Wa g e s ma y b e c a lc ula te d b a se d o n a n ho urly ra te o f pa y o r o n a pie c e ra te b a sis ( as spe c ifie d in the e mplo ye r’s applic atio n ). 3 Pe r pa y pe rio d, pie c e ra te s must a ve ra g e no le ss tha n the hig he st re q uire d ho urly wa g e ra te . 2 3 WHD Ag ric ultura l E nfo rc e me nt: H-2A Pre se ntatio n, Ma rc h 2010 2 WHD F a c t She e t # 26: Se c tio n H-2A o f the I mmig ra tio n a nd Na tio na lity Ac t (I NA) 13