Companies Struggle To Fill Seasonal Jobs After Visa Bill Isn't Extended - Money News Story - WISC Madison

Some local companies might have a problem filling positions this summer after a program that assisted seasonal workers has all but vanished. VIDEO : Watch The Report In 2005, the federal government passed a law allowing willing employers to hire foreign workers legally for jobs that couldn't be filled otherwise. The program, H2-B Returning Worker Visa Provision, is now stalled in Congress, leaving the Bruce Co. WISC-TV reported.

We need them here in April and we need them here in November," said company president Bliss Nicholson. We could find all kinds of people, but we couldn"t find someone that was legal." Nicholson said that for the past 10 years, his company had a hard time filling seasonal, manual labor positions.

You're out working in the dirt, you're digging holes," explained Nicholson. Each summer, the Bruce Co. 56 migrant workers hired under the H2-B Visa, a legal work permit for seasonal workers, WISC-TV reported. They did landscaping, irrigation. Everything they did would be outside. They were very, very dependable workers," said Nicholson.

The seasonal workers act allows for seasonal workers to return every year, but the provision hasn't yet been extended again by Congress. So for now, the Bruce Company has no other option. For these essential workers, where the job requirements are barely high school graduate, there's no experience required, there's no other category that you can put it into," said immigration attorney Sardar Durrani.

They had all the right paperwork to do that, they paid taxes, they did everything they should do," said Nicholson. It's a sad thing after doing all these things, jumping through all these hoops then they are told, no you can't have it," said Durrani. Durrani said there are bigger implications from the stalled bill.

The consequence is either employers don't hire anybody, they shut down the business, or they are pushed into hiring someone who is not legal in United States," said Durrani. Now, some small business owners nationwide are banding together to press members of Congress to sign the extension.

There are people coming across the border everyday and here are some people that were really committed to do it right again that are penalized, and to me that's the shame of it," said Nicholson. Immigration attorneys said that migrant workers who come to work in the U.S. The Bruce Co. Copyright 2008 by Channel 3000. All rights reserved. 3 People Who Check Your Credit - Landlords, Employers & Insurers. Be the 4th.

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