H-2B Visa 2023 Application Window Opens 1/1; New Attestation Form Required


The filing window to submit an H-2B Application for Temporary Employment Certification (Form ETA-9142B and appendices) requesting work start dates of April 1, 2023, or later, opens January 1, 2023, at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Employers submitting H-2B visa applications in 2023 should prepare to file the newly required Form ETA-9142-B-CAA-7, Attestation for Employers Seeking to Employ H-2B Nonimmigrant Workers Under Section 204 of Division O of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, Public Law 117-103, and Public Law 117-180 (the “Form”).

OFLC has announced that following OFLC’s standard operating procedures, H-2B applications requesting an April 1, 2023, work start date will be denied if they are filed before January 1, 2023, at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time. OFLC plans to randomly order for processing all H-2B applications requesting a work start date of April 1, 2023, filed during the initial three calendar days (January 1-3, 2023) using the randomization procedures published in the Federal Register on March 4, 2019. Each day, from January 3, 2023 through January 6, 2023, OFLC will publish on the Foreign Labor Application Gateway System website the number of H-2B applications it has received to date and the total number of requested worker positions on those applications. Employers, workers awaiting these visas and other stakeholders should monitor the Gateway to assess the continued availability of the allotted H-2B visas.

Meanwhile, the Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration on December 16, 2022 published a notice announcing the 2023 AEWR for herding or production of livestock on the range in the Federal Register. The AEWR for occupations involving herding or production of livestock on the range is new for the H-2A Program. AEWRs are the minimum wage rates the Department of Labor has determined must be offered and paid by employers to H-2A workers and workers in corresponding employment to help ensure the Department meets its statutory obligation to certify that the employment of H-2A foreign workers will not adversely affect the wages of agricultural workers in the U.S. similarly employed. Employers affected by this mandated minimum wage rates should account for these rates in their budgeting and compliance activities.

    The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (“OFLC”) announced December 19, 2022 that employers requesting H-2B visas to hire nonimmigrant workers under the FY2023 cap increase must complete and submit the new the new Form. The Form and its instruction currently available for immediate use by employees here. Employers planning to request H-2B visas should obtain and begin preparing the Form along with their applications to be ready to file when the 2023 application window open January 1, 2023.

    For Help With Comments, Investigations Or Other Needs

    If your organization would like to learn more about the concerns discussed in this update or seeks assistance auditing, updating, administering or defending its human resources, compensation, benefits, corporate ethics and compliance practices, or other performance related concerns, contact management attorney and consultant Cynthia Marcotte Stamer.

    An attorney Board Certified in Labor & Employment Law by Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Ms. Stamer is recognized for work helping organizations management people, operations and risk as  a Fellow in the American College of Employee Benefit Counsel, a “Top Woman Lawyer,” “Top Rated Lawyer,” and “LEGAL LEADER™” in Labor and Employment Law and Health Care Law; a “Best Lawyers” in “Labor & Employment,” “Tax: ERISA & Employee Benefits,” “Health Care” and “Business and Commercial Law.”

    For 35 years, Ms. Stamer’s work has focused on advising and assisting businesses and business leaders with these and other employment and other staffing, employee benefit, compensation, risk, performance and compliance management and other operational solutions and concerns. Her experience includes helping management both manage performance and manage legal risk and compliance.  While helping businesses define and manage the conduct and performance of their employees, contractors and vendors, she also assists employers and others about compliance with federal and state equal employment opportunity, compensation, health and other employee benefit, workplace safety, leave, and other labor and employment laws, advises and defends businesses against labor and employment, employee benefit, compensation, fraud and other regulatory compliance and other related audits, investigations and litigation, charges, audits, claims and investigations by the IRS, Department of Labor, Department of Justice, SEC,  Federal Trade Commission, HUD, HHS, DOD, Departments of Insurance, and other federal and state regulators. Ms. Stamer also speaks, coaches management and publishes extensively on these and other related matters. For additional information about Ms. Stamer and her experience or to access other publications by Ms. Stamer see here or contact Ms. Stamer directly.

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    This entry was posted on Monday, December 19th, 2022 at 12:08 PM and is filed under Corporate Compliance. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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