Immigration News  |
| Changes in immigration that impact your life. |
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| DOL Solicits Nominations for 2012 ERISA Advisory Council |
| July 21, 2011 |
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| DOL's Employee Benefits Security Administration is soliciting nominations to fill five three-year vacancies on the Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans, known as the ERISA Advisory Council. The deadline to submit nominations is Sept.16. Nominations are being accepted for one vacancy each to represent the fields of employee organizations, employers, corporate trust, investment management and the general public. |
| Prince George's County Public School Charged with Violating H-1B Visa Program |
| April 6, 2011 |
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| Department of Labor found that Maryland's Prince George's County Public Schools was willfully violating terms of the H-1B visa program by requiring the foreign national employees to pay fees related to the cost of filing for an H-1B visa petition, which the employer should have paid for. US Department of Labor orders $4.2 million in back wages be paid to 1,044 teachers and fines school system $1.7 million in civil money penalties. |
| US Labor Department Proposes Revisions to H-2B Program, Seeks Public's Comments |
| March 29, 2011 |
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| US Department of Labor is proposing changes to the H-2B. The rule would eliminate job contractors as beneficiaries of the visa and would allow employers to conduct labor certification closer to the date of need of the worker as well as create a national job registry aimed at protecting U.S. workers. The complete proposal can be viewed at http://s.dol.gov/DK. The public may submit comments until May 17, 2011 at www.regulations.gov |
| DOL Approves Standards for Direct Support Professional Occupation Under National Registered Apprenticeship System |
| October 27, 2010 |
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| DOL's Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has approved national guidelines for apprenticeship standards for the occupation of direct support professional. These standards will enable employers to use ETA's Registered Apprenticeship program to train workers for careers in the long-term care sector of the health care industry. Under the new standards, the Registered Apprenticeship program will provide direct support professional apprentices with on-the-job instruction to develop competencies in assisting people in need. The credentials and competencies to be achieved are based upon criteria for the NADSP national voluntary direct support credentialing program. |
| DOL Bans Asian Journal from the H-1B Program |
| August 10, 2010 |
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| The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that it has debarred Asian Journal Publications from using the H-1B visa program to hire temporary workers. An investigation conducted by the department's Wage and Hour Division, determined that the employer did not properly pay the workers and misrepresented facts on the Labor Condition Application filed with the department's Employment Training Administration requesting approval to hire the workers. The debarment will remain in effect until July 30, 2012. |
| DOL to Exercise Authority to Certify Applications for U Visas |
| March 15, 2010 |
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| Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced that the U.S. Department of Labor will begin exercising its authority to certify applications for U Nonimmigrant Status Visas. U visas — as they are known — are designed to help victims of qualifying criminal activities who have suffered substantial physical or mental abuse and are willing to assist law enforcement or other government officials in the investigation or prosecution of those crimes. |
| DOL Certifies Approx. 5,500 Workers in 12 States as Eligible to Apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) |
| March 4, 2010 |
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| US Department of Labor certifies approximately 5,500 workers in 12 states as eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance. The U.S. Department of Labor announced that approximately 5,500 workers from companies in 12 states — California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Vermont —are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance. |
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