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Wednesday, April 05, 2017

Justice Department Cautions Employers Seeking H-1B Visas Not to Discriminate Against U.S. Workers

The Justice Department cautioned employers petitioning for H-1B visas not to discriminate against U.S. workers. The warning came as the federal government began accepting employers’ H-1B visa petitions for the next fiscal year. The H-1B visa program allows companies in the United States to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations such as science and information technology.

The anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) generally prohibits employers from discriminating against U.S. workers because of their citizenship or national origin in hiring, firing and recruiting. Employers violate the INA if they have a discriminatory hiring preference that favors H-1B visa holders over U.S. workers.

“The Justice Department will not tolerate employers misusing the H-1B visa process to discriminate against U.S. workers,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Tom Wheeler of the Civil Rights Division. “U.S. workers should not be placed in a disfavored status, and the department is wholeheartedly committed to investigating and vigorously prosecuting these claims.”

The division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER), formerly known as the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices, is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The statute prohibits, among other things, citizenship, immigration status and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; retaliation and intimidation.

For more information about protections against employment discrimination under immigration laws, call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a free webinar; email IER@usdoj.gov(link sends e-mail); or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites.

Applicants or employees who believe they were subjected to discrimination based on their citizenship, immigration status, or national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral, should contact IER’s worker hotline for assistance.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

They must mean waiters and waitresses, not science and technology. Has anybody from DC ever been to Ocean City during season?

REALLY?

Anonymous said...

OC abuses the J1 visas for summer help.

Anonymous said...

The OC government itself hires the foreigners. The last head of transportation actually looked into replacing (citizen) bus drivers with foreigners.

bayman said...

Look at all of the a-holes here on the Eastern Shore hiring these illegals. Almost every company has them. I was in McDonalds the other day in Frutitland and they were doing a training thing and they had Spanish speaking people there to take care of their illegals that they hire. No way is there that many LEGAL hispanics here in this area.

Anonymous said...

Without J1 visa employees, many OC businesses would be understaffed. There aren't enough locals to fill the positions. It's not abused. It's necessary.