Immigration

Former Ontario politician Monte McNaughton will join Woodbine Entertainment as Executive Vice President, Industry Relations and People Experience, it was announced Tuesday. McNaughton, who was most recently Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development for the Province of Ontario, has served in public office for more than 15 years and was a Member of Provincial Parliament since 2011. "We have an opportunity to expand our business in a way that benefits Ontario's horse racing industry and the families depending on it. I believe Monte's expertise and leadership will guide...

Last month, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into state law the self-described "strongest anti-illegal immigration legislation in the country." Under the new statute--the bulk of which goes into effect on July 1--business owners with 25 or more employees must use E-Verify to confirm the immigration status of new hires, and be subjected to enforceable penalties for employing undocumented workers, as well as stricter penalties for sending undocumented workers across state lines to work in Florida, among other provisions. When enforced, the new stringent laws are highly likely to impact everyone...

Edited Press Release Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas directed the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Tuesday to stop mass worksite raids and to take actions to promote a fair labor market by supporting more effective enforcement of wage protections, workplace safety, labor rights and other employment laws and standards. In accordance with a memorandum issued by Secretary Mayorkas, ICE, CBP, and USCIS will develop and update policies to enhance the Department's impact in supporting the...

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Department of Labor issued a joint temporary final rule published Tuesday in the Federal Register that offers 22,000 additional H-2B visas to employers for the second half of the federal fiscal year that ends Sept. 30, 2021. The visas, used by employers such as racehorse trainers seeking seasonal guest workers, are capped at 66,000 annually, with an even split of 33,000 available for each half of the federal government's fiscal year. Six thousand of these supplemental visas will be reserved for nationals of...

The State Department released guidance for the Presidential Proclamations from June 22 (P.P. 10014 & 10052) that temporarily suspended issuance of new non-immigrant visas, such as the H-2B visa used by horse trainers. The guidance provides exceptions to the suspension and gives trainers the opportunity to secure more H-2B workers if at least two of the following three indicators are present: The applicant was previously employed and trained by the petitioning U.S. employer. The applicant is traveling based on a temporary labor certification (TLC) that reflects continued need for the...