The Trump administration in the United States has listed five Caribbean countries among 84 countries worldwide that are eligible for H-2A and H-2B visa programs that allow US employers to bring foreign nationals to the US to fill temporary agricultural and nonagricultural jobs, respectively. Typically, USCIS approves H-2A and H-2B petitions only for nationals of countries that the Secretary of Homeland Security has designated as eligible to participate in the programs. The notice listing the eligible countries was published in the Federal Register on Jan. 18, 2019. USCIS Releases Statement Regarding the Countries Eligible for H-2A and H-2B Visa Programs Posted on January 22, 2020 by Accel Admin In the past week, U.S. However, USCIS may approve H-2A and H-2B petitions, including those that were pending as of the date of the Federal Register notice, for nationals of countries not on the list on a case-by-case basis only if doing so is determined to be in the interest of the United States. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Official websites use .gov § 3303(b)(1). The new countries that have now been designated eligible to participate in these non-immigrant visa programs are Austria, Italy, Panama, and Thailand. For more information on these programs, see the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Workers page and the H-2B Temporary Non-Agricultural Workers page. Effective Jan. 19, 2019, nationals of the following countries are eligible to receive H-2A and H-2B visas: *Moldova, Paraguay, and the Dominican Republic are eligible to participate in the H-2A program, but they are not eligible to participate in the H-2B program. This notice does not affect the status of beneficiaries who currently are in the United States in H-2A or H-2B status unless they apply to change or extend their status. The beneficiary in question who is supposed to be granted an H2B Visa should meet the criteria as specified by DOL (us Department of Labor). People involved in sports, movie making, entertainers and some sports people can also use H2B Visas. Samoa had been a participant as recently as 2017, but was stricken from the list in 2018 due to compliance issues.Second, Paraguay has been added to the list of countries eligible to participate in the H2A visa program. However, ICE no longer lists Mongolia as such because it has demonstrated … 96-8, Section 4(b)(1), provides that “[w]henever the laws of the United States refer or relate to foreign countries, nations, states, governments, or similar entities, such terms shall include and such laws shall apply with respect to Taiwan.” 22 U.S.C. The H2B visa is another non-immigrant visa which is being granted to foreign workers seeking temporary or seasonal work in US. To add Mongolia to the list of countries eligible to participate in the H2B visa programs, and To no longer designate Belize, Haiti, and Samoa as eligible countries because they are not meeting the standards for the H2B visa program. Green Card Lottery DV-2020 Eligible Countries. One New Country Added to H2A and H2B Visa Programs. Effective Jan. 18, 2018, nationals of the following countries are eligible to receive H-2A and H‑2B visas: *Moldova is designated to participate in the H-2A program, but it is not eligible to participate in the H-2B program. However, USCIS may approve H-2A and H-2B petitions for nationals of countries not on the list on a case-by-case basis if it is determined to be in the interest of the United States. § 214.2(h)(6)(i)(E)(1), are read to include Taiwan. From the list above the New Countries that have been added for the first time are: Barbados, Estonia, Fiji, Hungary, Kiribati, Latvia, Macedonia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. USCIS Announces Countries Eligible for H-2A and H-2B Visa Programs U.S. During 2018, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Qatar were added to the list of e-Visa eligible countries. This is consistent with the United States’ one-China policy, under which the United States has maintained unofficial relations with Taiwan since 1979. Grenada’s ambassador to the Unites States of America, Dr. Angus Friday praised the US for Grenada’s continued inclusion on the list of countries eligible for H-2A and H-2B programs being offered by the USCIS and the Department of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Department of State. Type Of Work Eligible For H2B Visa. The Federal Register notice explains that Mongolia had been listed as “At Risk of Non-Compliance” in accepting the return of its nationals by the ICE. The list is long and can be viewed in its entirety on the USCIS website. According to the U.S. For the second year in a row, the Philippines has been excluded from the U.S. government's list of countries eligible to participate in the H-2A and H-2B worker visa programs in 2020. The notice listing the eligible countries was published on Jan. 18, 2018, in the Federal Register. Different qualifying countries are chosen every year, based on which countries and regions sent the fewest … US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Department of Homeland […] The information provided here is applicable to New H2B Visa and H2B Extension. On Friday, January 25, 2019, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) and the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”), in consultation with the Department of State, announced the list of countries whose nationals are eligible to participate in the H-2A and H-2B visa programs in 2019. New Countries Eligible to Participate in the H2B Visa 2011 Program The USCIS has recently updated the list of Countries that are eligible to obtain H2B and H2A visas in 2011 The H2B visa is a seasonal work visa that enables US employers to hire foreign nationals for temporary jobs that are nonagricultural. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Department of Homeland […] Criteria For Determining Employee’s Eligibility. H2B Eligible for Indian Workers...? WASHINGTON – The Donald Trump administration in the United States has listed five Caribbean countries among 84 countries worldwide that are eligible for H-2A and H-2B visa … Add Mozambique and Samoa to the list of countries eligible to participate in the H-2A and H-2B visa programs; Add Paraguay to the list of countries eligible to participate in the H-2A visa program; No longer designate Ethiopia and the Philippines as eligible countries because they no longer meet the regulatory standards for the H-2A and H-2B visa programs; and. The new countries that have now been designated eligible to participate in these non-immigrant visa programs are Austria, Italy, Panama, and Thailand. SVG among countries eligible for H-2A and H-2B visa programs January 20, 2020 admin U.S. The Department of Homeland Security along with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services just announced the list of countries that have been approved for H-2A and H-2B visa eligibility. This notice does not affect the status of beneficiaries who currently are in the United States in H-2A or H-2B status unless they apply to change or extend their status. However, USCIS may approve H-2A and H-2B petitions for nationals of countries not on the list on a case-by-case basis if it is determined to be in the interest of the United States. Samoa had been a participant as recently as 2017, but was stricken from the list in 2018 due to compliance issues. H-2A and H-2B visas exist to allow employers based in the United States to bring over employees from other countries to work temporarily in nonagricultural and agricultural jobs. September 4, 2018 September 27, 2018 / By USAGCL. The visa programs begin in January 2015. … However, ICE no longer lists Mongolia as such because it has demonstrated … USCIS Announces Countries Eligible for the H-2A and H-2B Visa Programs Jan 23, 2018 Government Websites , H1 Program , Immigration Forms , United States of America , US Visitor Requirements USCIS and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in consultation with the Department of State, have published the list of countries whose nationals are eligible to receive H-2A and H‑2B visas in 2018. H-2A and H-2B visas allow U.S. employers to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary agricultural and nonagricultural jobs, respectively. USCIS Announces Eligible Countries for H-2A and H-2B Visa Programs. An employer cannot hire workers with H2B Visa for continuous jobs that take more than 12 months. On January 18, 2018, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) publishefhe list of countries eligible to participate in the H2A and H2B nonimmigrant visa programs for 2018 in the Federal Register (FR) at 83 FR 2646 (Jan. 18, 2018) [PDF version].Although the list is largely similar to the 2017 [see article] and 2016 [see article] lists, there are some minor changes for 2018. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in consultation with the Department of State (DOS), have announced the list of countries whose nationals are eligible to participate in the H-2A and H-2B visa programs in 2020. There are 84 countries designated to be eligible for the agricultural visa program and 81 countries are eligible for the seasonal work visa because they continue to meet the regulatory standards. 2019. 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