By David H. Nachman, Esq.

There are three potential “hot spots” for audits and investigations for the government related to the immigration and nationality laws. The first has to do with the documentation that the employer is required to maintain in connection with the H-1B nonimmigrant professional and specialty and occupation worker visa. The second area of potential audit concerns the employer’s obligations under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (“IRCA”) [Pub. L. No. 99-603, 100 Stat. 3359] (known to HR Professionals as the “I-9 Process”). The third, and one more recent, area of audit surrounds the new Labor Certification Application Program called “Permanent Electronic Review Management” (“PERM”). Each of the foregoing government programs anticipates compliance through “audit”. Even a rudimentary understanding of the complex documentary requirements for each of these programs can help and employer to avoid potential liability. 

First, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) regulations that govern the maintenance of professional and specialty foreign national worker require an organization to develop and produce certain documents concerning the wages and the working conditions of an H-1B nonimmigrant. These documents are referred to as the Public Access File (“PAF”).  The PAF documents are required to be maintained at the H-1B worksite immediately after the employer files the Labor Condition Application (“LCA”) with the DOL. The employer is well-situated to ensure they maintain PAF documents and be sure that they continue to pay the H-1B nonimmigrant the specified wage on the LCA. Under the American Competitiveness and Workplace Improvement Act (“ACWIA”), an H-1B nonimmigrant must be offered the same company benefits as those offered to “similarly situated” non-H-1B employees in the organization.   

DOL audits can arise as a result of a complaint by a disgruntled employee or as a result of a randomly conducted investigation. Upon a DOL audit (normally undertaken by the Wage and Hour Division) an employer may be found not to be in compliance with (1) paying the H-1B nonimmigrant the specified wage (which pursuant to the H-1B Reform Act of 2004 became effective on March 8, 2005 must be 100% of the federally mandated prevailing wage); and/or (2) maintaining PAF documents; and/or (3) providing the H-1B nonimmigrant with the same benefits as those provided to all other “similarly situated” non-H-1B employees. Any failure to comply with DOL requirements can result in an employer being liable to pay back wages to an H-1B employee, debarment from the use of the H-1B program and/or other potential civil and/or criminal liabilities. Also, if the employer is a government contractor, the failure to comply may result in the debarment from the government contacts.

A second potential audit area for audit and investigation of an employer concerns employment verification and employer sanction law (referred to as the “Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986” or “IRCA”). As every HR Professional knows, IRCA is an integral aspect of every hire. Under IRCA, every employer is required to properly verify the eligibility of an employee to work in the U.S. on the Form I-9. The I-9 Form is a deceptively simple document.  The I-9 Form is only one page in length but it continues to raise issues about proper preparation and retention.    

Since the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (“DHS”) absorption of the Legacy-INS, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division (“ICE”) has been charged with worksite inspections and audits of I-9 documents. The “good news” for employers is that the number of I-9 inspections has been on the decline. The “bad news” for employers is that ICE Officers are not inclined to be lenient and educate employers about their responsibilities but are more likely to impose sanctions.

Given the present focus on “security” and “identity” in the workplace, it is likely that ICE Officials will be more active in their investigations in the future. ICE is not required to wait for a specific lead. The investigative authorities of the DHS have implemented a “General Administrative Plan” (the “Plan”). The Plan identifies employers from a national database and it targets specific industries that have developed a reputation for hiring unauthorized workers (e.g., restaurant, meat-packing, commercial cleaning, textile and garment). The Plan also provides for “random” audits. For example, due to national security concerns, great efforts continue to be placed on identifying those individuals who have access to the nation’s “critical infrastructures” such as airports, wastewater facilities, and highways.      

Finally, the third area of interest for employers from an audit perspective is the new PERM process for Labor Certifications Applications (the “Green Card”). After pending for over two (2) years, in December 2004, the PERM regulations became “Final” and on March 28^th, 2005, the old Labor Certification Application process was replaced by PERM. While PERM promises faster green card processing, the application process is much more complex. The DOL seems to be sending a message that it is easier to audit the employer as opposed to processing an Application. 

The new PERM process requires an employer to obtain a Prevailing Wage Determination (the “PWD”) from the State Workforce Agency (the “SWA”) (e.g. The NJDOL, Alien Labor Certification Unit) in the State where the position has been offered. The PWD area of the law is constantly evolving. Once the PWD is obtained, an employer must undertake a rigid “recruitment process”. Recruitment consists of placing a job order with the SWA and placing two (2) Sunday advertisements in an appropriate newspaper. The recruitment process needs to be completed within six (6) months of the filing of the PERM Application. 

PERM requires meticulous preparation and a thorough understanding of the Regulations. The PERM process is analogous to the administrative process that surrounds the filing of a U.S. tax return. When the return is filed, the filer makes representations, declarations, and attestations about annual income and expenses. The filer does not submit evidence about annual income and expenses. Such information is only provided if the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) sends the filer a notice for an audit. The PERM program is similar. A PERM Application is filed by making attestations on the new DOL Form 9089. The Form 9089 is submitted to the DOL. DOL can either certify the Form without receiving documentation, or DOL can send out an audit letter.

The new PERM Regulations state that the DOL can request an audit of any pending Labor Certification Application for cause or in the DOL’s discretion. In the event that a prospective employer is noticed for an audit, the employer will receive an audit letter that lists the documents that will have to be submitted. The audit letter shall set a date that is thirty (30) days from the date of the letter for submission of the additional documents and shall advise the employer that the Labor Certification Application will be denied if the information is not received in a timely manner. If the employer does not respond, the PERM Labor Certification Application will be denied.

It appears clearly to be the case that immigration-related programs that are undertaken by employers may be subject to either directed and/or random government audits from the DHS and/or the DOL. Failure to adequately comply with government regulations can result in penalties. The employer’s familiarity with the intricacies of the auditing and compliance are likely to save a considerable amount of both time and money.       

David H. Nachman, Esq. is the Managing Attorney at Nachman & Associates, P.C. with offices located in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, New York City (and having corresponding offices in Ohio, Netherlands Antilles and California). David Nachman received his BS from Georgetown University and his JD from Case Western Reserve University where he also received a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. Nachman & Associates, P.C. provided counsel throughout the U.S. on a full array of immigration law issues. Visit us at www.VISASERVECOM .com.    

How to Win the War When Working With Wal-Mart:

One law firm’s story of complying with the “roll-back” king’s employer compliance program.

            Americans across the country are familiar with Wal-Mart for their “roll-back” prices and friendly service.  What most people don’t know is that, after their immigration  scandals in 2001 and 2003, Wal-Mart has lead the country in enforcing employer compliance with requirements of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (“IRCA”).  Since paying a record-setting $11 million to the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division (“ICE”), Wal-Mart has become the reluctant leader in employer compliance programs.  As anyone trying to sign a contract with Wal-Mart will tell you, it’s no walk in the park to meet their strict demands, but it is the way of the future for employment verification procedures.            

            By way of history, in 2001, 100 illegal immigrant janitors were arrested at Wal-Mart stores in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Missouri and New York, and an additional 245 were arrested in October 2003 at 60 stores across 21 states.  The allegation that Wal-Mart knew the janitors were illegal was denied by Wal-Mart’s top executives; nevertheless they admitted that they should have been keeping a more watchful eye over what their sub-contractors were doing.  In a statement from Washington, federal officials announced that 12 janitorial contractors that worked for Wal-Mart had agreed to forfeit $4 million to the government and to plead guilty to criminal charges of employing illegal immigrants. The workers came from nearly 20 countries, including Mexico, Brazil, the Czech Republic, China, Poland and Russia.

            As part of the $11 million settlement, Wal-Mart was permanently barred from hiring illegal immigrants and was ordered to establish a mechanism to make sure that its contractors “are taking reasonable steps to comply with immigration laws” within 18 months from the settlement date.  Wal-Mart has since pledged to train all of its store managers to avoid “knowingly hiring” or “continuing to employ” illegal immigrant workers. Wal-Mart also agreed to continue cooperating with federal officials investigating its contractors.  It’s no surprise that the regulations Wal-Mart has since built into their sub-contractor agreements are very rigid. 

            If you’re unfortunate enough to have seen the addendums to the Wal-Mart contracts, you are aware that there are stipulations which require all sub-contractors and sub-sub-contractors to follow the ICE “10 Best Practices for Employers”, which is a component of ICE’s IMAGE (“Ice Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers”) Program.  Such practices include registering with the E-Verify Program, conducting training programs for all staff related to I-9 compliance, annual internal and third party I-9 audits, implementing an internal tip line, and full cooperation with government officials from the Department of Homeland Security.  Not only are these required for the general contractor, but also for all sub-contractors and sub-sub-contractors.  Needless to say, it has become burdensome for many small employers who wish to partner with a company such as Wal-Mart. 

            Nachman & Associates, P.C. is a Global Immigration Law Firm that has successfully helped companies become compliant with the regulations pushed down by Wal-Mart.  In fact, other large employers such as Verizon have also been adopting the Wal-Mart compliance plan and requiring it for their own contractors, sub-contractors and sub-sub-contractors.  In this era of compliance, it is important that employers can not only be in compliance with the law (as it will most likely only get tougher on violators), but also be able to handle the demands of both the government and large corporations who are pushing down these mandates.  As Managing Attorney David H. Nachman says, “when we look into the crystal ball, we can see what’s coming down the pike and it means that employers need to be more vigilant.” 

            Mr. Nachman and his staff have been training employers about proper employment verification procedures for over a decade and most recently, pursuant to a federal training grant from the US Department of Justice, Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices (“OSC”), the Nachman & Associates team has been traveling across the tri-state area, and across the country via webinar, to help employers overcome the confusion in this “age of enforcement.” To contact Nachman & Associates for more information on compliance programs or to attend or schedule free training on employment verification procedures, anti-discrimination, E-Verify and IMAGE, please feel free to visit their website www.visaserve.com. 

Economic Downturn:  Immigration Issues for Layoffs, Terminations, Mergers, Acquisitions, Restructurings and How These Impact Foreign National Workers.

As our economy continues in its downward spiral, company mergers, acquisitions and restructurings (“transactions”) are likely to continue. In general, since a merger, acquisition or restructuring is a “corporate transaction”, the immigration issues often get left in the dust. For this reason, it is important that immigration repercussions that arise from a merger, acquisition or restructuring are considered and that Business Immigration Counsel is brought into the “deal” or arrangement at the appropriate time – earlier rather then later. This is especially the case since Business Immigration Counsel may be able to save money for the parties to the transaction.

Immigration regulations closely tie the employer’s identity, location and ownership structure;  any change from the merger/acquisition may immediately invalidate an alien employee’s non-immigrant visa.  The loss of non-immigrant visa validity could immediately affect an employee’s work status in the U.S.  For example, if a transaction is undertaken and the successor party fails to amend the H-1B petition and/or the underlying Labor Condition Application (the “LCA”) then the H-1B nonimmigrant may be out of status. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Citizenship and Immigration Service (“CIS”) has made it clear that there is no “grace period” and that once an H-1B non-immigrant is no longer employed with the H-1B sponsor then the individual is deemed to be out-of-status.

It is for this very reason that Business Immigration Counsel advise employers who are involved in a transaction to be sure to annotate the Public Access File (“PAF”) prior to the transaction so that the successor organization clearly assumes the liabilities of the H-1B nonimmigrants. This “assumption” can be added to the PAF prior to the closing of the transaction and this way there is no requirement that there be amendments to the H-1B be submitted. However, amendments to H-1Bs may be desired by H-1B employees if they will be traveling outside the U.S.           

Depending upon an individual’s progress in the green card process, Immigrant Visa Petitions may also be affected. A determination will need to be made as to whether or not the new company owner would be considered to be a “successor-in-interest”.  If the organization’s new owner has assumed all of the past owner’s liabilities, then the new owner may qualify as a “successor-in-interest”. If the new company is a “successor-in-interest” then the green card process can be continued by the successor organization. Hence, the new employer would continue with the green card process on behalf of the foreign national employee without having to start the green card process/labor certification/PERM from the beginning.

The third and one of the most important issues with which a business owner or transferor should be concerned is the Form I-9. A “successor-in-interest” can  assume the I-9 liabilities of the organization. Failure to comply with I-9 requirements may result in serious sanctions. Therefore, before a transaction is undertaken, an examination of the Forms I-9 of the organization should be conducted through either an audit or a review. If the successor organization does not assume the Forms I-9 of the prior organization then new I-9s can be done for each of the organization’s employees. Such Forms I-9 should be prepared for all employees to avoid any allegation of an unfair immigration-related employment practice such as document abuse or discrimination on the basis of citizenship or nationality.  

Immigration repercussions should be considered early on in any transaction. Initially, an analysis of the immigration status of all of the organization’s alien employees and a determination of the form of the corporate change on their status should be considered. Following this analysis, filings of any applications necessary to maintain the employees’ status can be appropriately considered.

In an ongoing attempt to keep HR professionals up-to-date with business immigration law rules and regulations, our office continues to forge strategic alliances with various professional organizations that are able to obtain and provide important information to their members.

When traditional immigration approaches do not work, our knowledgeable and skilled legal team offers many visa options to meet immigration goals.  Please feel free to contact us at any of our several office locations, and speak to a member of our staff in one of the 15 languages spoken, English, Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, Slovak, Czech, Polish, Tagalog, Hindi, Tamil, Italian, Russian, Chinese, and German.

To meet a growing demand for Canadian Immigration Law Services, Nachman & Associates formed a Canadian Division in 2005. Managed by licensed Canadian legal staff and with offices in Montreal and Toronto, as well as New York and New Jersey, our Canadian Division attorneys are in the unique position to assist with cross-border issues.

Nachman & Associates, P.C. is also proud to announce the 2007 formation of a Global Immigration Division to assist clients with immigration services to countries such as the UK, China, New Zealand, Australia, and more. Our Global Division staff is fully equipped to assist with international transfers to and from the United States.  If you, or any member of your staff, are interested in receiving more information about with regard to changes in the corporate structure or in connection with a merger or acquisition or layoff or termination. please contact us at 201-670-0006 (x100) or at info@visaserve.com.  Feel free to visit us on the web at www.visaserve.com.

USCIS Delays Rule Changing List of Documents Acceptable to Verify Employment Eligibility

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced Friday that it has delayed the implementation of an interim final rule entitled “Documents Acceptable for Employment Eligibility Verification” published in the Federal Register on Dec. 17, 2008 by 60 days, until April 3, 2009.  The rule streamlines the Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9) process and was originally set to take effect today (February 2, 2009). 

The delay will provide DHS with an opportunity for further consideration of the rule and also allows the public additional time to submit comments. A notice announcing the delay was transmitted today to the Federal Register.  In addition, USCIS has reopened the public comment period for 30 days, until March 4, 2009. The interim final rule will amend regulations governing the types of acceptable identity and employment authorization documents employees may present to their employers for completion of the Form I-9.  Under the interim rule, employers will no longer be able to accept expired documents to verify employment authorization on the Form I-9. 

The interim final rule and an informational copy of the revised Form I-9 will continue to be available for public comment at www.regulations.gov.

Nachman & Associates, P.C. is a Global Immigration law firm that handles employment verification/I-9 inquiries from employers across the country on a daily basis.  Being a U.S. Department of Justice Grantee, our office is well-qualified to answer these and any questions related to National Origin or Citizenship Status Discrimination, as well as CIS’ E-Verify Program, ICE’s IMAGE Program and the Social Security No-Match Process.  When traditional immigration approaches do not work, our skilled legal team offers many visa options to meet your immigration goals. Please feel free to contact us at any of our seven office locations, and speak to an associate in one of our 12 languages spoken, including: Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, Slovak, Czech, Polish, Tagalog, Italian, Russian, Chinese, and German.

To meet a growing demand for Canadian immigration from the United States, in 2005 Nachman & Associates formed a Canadian Division, managed by licensed Canadian legal staff. With offices in Montreal, and Toronto, Canada (as well as in New York and New Jersey in the U.S.) our Canadian Division attorneys are in the unique position to assist with cross-border issues. If you, or any member of your staff, are interested in receiving more information about U.S. and/or Canadian Immigration options, please contact our office:

Website: http://www.visaserve.com

email: info@visaserve.com

phone: 201-670-0006 ext. 100

You know your employer is violating the law. Perhaps, he has benched you with no pay; is paying you less than the required wage; has you sending out resumes instead of writing a computer program.

So why do H-1B employees put up with this situation?

One of the main reasons an H-1B employee tolerates exploitation rather than filing a complaint against the employer is fear of being deported.

This fear is understandable, but protections do exist. Specifically, regulations prohibit the employer from threatening you and retaliating against you if you complain about his violations of the law. 20 CFR 655.801.

Read the full article on the blog H1BLegalRights.com.

If your H-1B employer (or former H-1B employer) underpaid your wages, you may be interested in complaining to the employer or pursuing legal action, but worried about what may happen to you. You may be worried that, if you complain about unpaid wages, you may lose your H-1B status, and be subject to deportation.

These are realistic concerns. Pursuing your legal rights indeed is a serious and delicate matter. You should thoroughly educate yourself on your legal rights and options before you take action or assume risks.

However, you should know that an underpaying H-1B employer has its own risks to worry about. The legal and financial consequences that an employer faces if found to have underpaid an H-1B employee’s wages could drive the employer out of business.

Rather than face the risks that result from a worker filing a legal complaint, fraudulent H-1B employers will often prefer to reach a settlement with an underpaid H-1B worker.

Fraudulent H-1B employers may well agree to a settlement that: (a) pays you your unpaid wages (and possibly more, given the possibility of legal penalty monies in addition to wages); (b) fixes any immigration-status problems (e.g. makes sure you receive valid payments and paystubs needed for H-1B transfer); and (c) agrees not to retaliate against you.

Below are 5 reasons why an underpaying H-1B employer should agree to such a settlement.

(Please note: This article is NOT advising you to demand settlement from your employer, to threaten your employer with legal action, or to take legal action. Before trying to negotiate a settlement or filing a legal complaint on your own, it is strongly advised that you talk to an attorney, such as an H-1B rights attorney and immigration attorney, about your own specific circumstances and legal options).

If the H-1B employer does not settle with you, you could go on to file legal complaints that could present serious problems for the employer. (Please note: you could pursue these legal complaints even if you were deported and outside the U.S.-so, the employer could not “fix” its potential problems by trying to get you deported).

There are two types of legal complaints that could be filed against the employer: (a) a Department of Labor (DOL) complaint, which relates to failure to pay the prevailing wage and other immigration law violations; and (b) a federal court complaint, which relates to unpaid wages and various fraud laws.

Here are 5 reasons why an employer would want to avoid these legal complaints and settle with you instead.

#1 If the employer refused to settle with you, and you went on to file one of these legal complaints, the employer would likely have to pay your unpaid prevailing wages.

If an underpaid H-1B worker filed a legal complaint, the chances are the employer would be found in violation of the laws and have to pay the worker the unpaid prevailing wages.

In addition, the employer would have to reimburse the employee for any prohibited payments or wage deductions demanded of the employee such as the petition filing fee or an early termination penalty.

Violations are often clear-cut. In many cases, a legal decision-maker can compare documentation, readily determine a worker has been underpaid, and/or the employer has made unauthorized deductions, and require payment from the employer.

#2 The employer may have to pay back the unpaid wages of other H-1B employees as well.

If a DOL complaint were filed, it is likely that DOL would investigate not only the employer’s underpayment of your wages, but also the wages of other employees, to see if they were underpaid as well.

Say, for example, the employer underpaid you personally by $25,000, and underpaid nine (9) other workers in the same manner.

If the employer refused to reach settlement with you (say, a settlement which paid you the $25,000 you were underpaid), and you go on to file a DOL complaint, the employer could risk the DOL making the employer pay out $250,000 to ten workers.

You may not know exactly how many workers the employer has underpaid, and how much the employer has underpaid them. However, when an H-1B employer has underpaid you and treated you fraudulently, the odds are high that the employer has done the same thing to several other H-1B workers. A fraudulent employer has to worry about all its underpaid workers, not just you, if the employer understands you and your attorneys may file a DOL complaint.

Faced with the prospect of having to pay all of its underpaid H-1B employees, an employer should be more inclined to settle with you to avoid a DOL investigation and being found in violation of the regulations.

#3 The employer could have to pay triple your wages, and additional monies, if the employer lost a fraud claim in federal court.

In addition to a DOL complaint, an underpaid H-1B worker may be able to file a complaint in federal court under various fraud laws.

A federal complaint can also be filed by a worker who has been deported and is no longer in the U.S.

If you win a claim under one of these federal laws, the law requires that the fraudulent H-1B employer pay you triple the amount of your lost wages as well as additional monies.

Further, the employer and its representatives would have to defend the complaint and would probably have to retain an attorney and pay thousands of dollars in legal expenses. (Most employers’ attorneys charge out-of-pocket fees on an hourly basis, as opposed to a contingency, pay-only-if-you-win basis that workers’ attorneys often have).

If you and your attorneys can get the employer to understand these financial risks of a federal complaint, it is all the more likely the employer will want to reach settlement with you rather than face the possible consequences of federal litigation.

#4 The employer, if found in violation of DOL regulations, could be subject to heavy fines.

In addition to requiring payment of back-wages, depending on the nature of the violation, the DOL can impose fines ranging from a maximum of $1,000 to $35,000 per violation committed by an employer. These fines can add up quickly, especially if there are multiple violations pertaining to more than one H-1B worker.

Faced with the prospect of paying both back-wages and fines should serve as a further incentive for an employer to reach settlement rather than risk going to court and losing.

#5 The employer, if found in violation of DOL regulations, could lose its right to employ H-1B or other foreign workers.

Financial liabilities are not the only sanction an employer faces if found in violation of DOL regulations. The employer may also lose its right to petition approval for immigrant and non-immigrant workers for up to three years. For an employer who relies on foreign workers to keep its business running, such a restriction could be devastating. As such, the potential imposition of this sanction should be a factor in an employer’s decision as to whether to settle with you or fight your claim.

Conclusion

Given all these risks that a fraudulent H-1B employer faces, it would likely be a far better decision for the employer to reach a reasonable settlement with an underpaid H-1B worker as opposed to facing the possible severe consequences of legal actions.

Again, it bears mention this article is not advising you to rush to threaten an underpaying H-1B employer with legal action, demand settlement, etc.

How you take action is a delicate matter. You should strongly consider speaking with an H-1B rights attorney and immigration attorney before you take action.

The information above is intended to educate you on the risks the employer faces and the reasons that employers may be inclined to reach settlement if you and your attorneys do decide it is appropriate to communicate with the employer about your right to be paid the prevailing wage.

Additional Information

For more H-1B employee rights information, please visit the blog www.h1blegalrights.com.

To learn more about H-1B rights and options, please see these posts:

• “Employee Tip: If You’re an H-1B Worker Being Underpaid Wages, Consider These Things”
• “5 Reasons Why an H-1B Employer Would Want to Reach Settlement With An Underpaid Employee”
• “H-1B Workers’ Fears vs. Fighting for Your Rights”
• “FAQS- If You Were Underpaid as an H-1B Worker and Are No Longer in the U.S.”

For information about H-1B Rights & Immigration Rights Attorneys Michael F. Brown and Vonda K. Vandaveer, please visit here.

This post was jointly authored by Employee Rights Attorney Michael Brown of the law firm of Peterson, Berk & Cross, and Immigration Attorney Vonda K. Vandaveer of the law firm V.K. Vandaveer, P.L.L.C.  Attorney Vandaveer also authors the blog U.S. Business and Immigration Law.

DISCLAIMER: The information in this article is NOT legal advice, nor does it establish an attorney-client relationship between you and the attorneys or law firms above. Legal advice often varies between situations. If you want legal advice for your specific circumstances, you must consult with an attorney.

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Fear is the biggest factor that holds many H-1B workers back from approaching their employer (or former employer), and asking for their underpaid wages, or from taking legal action.

H-1B workers do in fact have several options and legal rights. Some of those rights are very powerful.

However, those rights will not do you any good unless you are willing to pursue them. To fight to enforce your rights. To make educated and bold decisions, and stick to them. To know that, in order to achieve what you want to, you will have to take on some risks.

A fraudulent H-1B employer has many more risks than an underpaid H-1B worker does. Many H-1B employers would be willing to discuss an amicable settlement with an underpaid H-1B worker rather than deal with a legal action, and face the potentially severe liabilities. Yet the employers don’t seem to worry nearly as much as do the H-1B employees.

If you are an H-1B worker, and are too fearful to talk to your employer about unpaid wages, I can understand where you’re coming from, and I could never judge you for feeling that way.

However, I do ask that you not contact me, asking me to spend hours of time discussing legal rights that you know you’d never pursue anyway, because of your fears. Only if it’s possible you could commit to assuming some risks and pursuing your rights could an attorney possibly help you.

If you don’t take action, you may well face risks (e.g. an employer’s underpayments could be hurting your immigration status). If you do take action, you may well face risks (e.g. the employer may threaten deportation). You’ve got to deal with your situation.

In dealing with your situation: (1) don’t let fear control you; (2) know the risks are there, and that you must deal with them; (3) educate yourself about your legal rights and options; (4) learn what options present the lowest risks and highest potential benefits; (5) make an educated decision; and (6) don’t second-guess yourself. Only if you are willing to overcome your fear and accept risks would you have any chance to obtain what you’re owed, and to improve your immigration status and options.

Additional Information

For more H-1B employee rights information, please visit the blog www.h1blegalrights.com.

To learn more about H-1B rights and options, please see these posts:

• “Employee Tip: If You’re an H-1B Worker Being Underpaid Wages, Consider These Things”
• “5 Reasons Why an H-1B Employer Would Want to Reach Settlement With An Underpaid Employee”
• “H-1B Workers’ Fears vs. Fighting for Your Rights”
• “FAQS- If You Were Underpaid as an H-1B Worker and Are No Longer in the U.S.”

For information about H-1B Rights & Immigration Rights Attorneys Michael F. Brown and Vonda K. Vandaveer, please visit here.

DISCLAIMER: The information in this blog is NOT legal advice, nor does it establish an attorney-client relationship between you and Employee Rights Attorney Michael Brown or the law firm of Peterson, Berk & Cross. Legal advice often varies between situations. If you want legal advice for your specific circumstances, you must consult with an attorney.

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If you were underpaid as an H-1B, and are now outside the U.S., below are some frequently asked questions and answers.

#1: Can I bring a legal claim in the U.S. against my former employer, when I no longer live in the U.S.?

Probably yes. There are cases in several areas of U.S. law where non-citizens are allowed to pursue legal action against a U.S. citizen or U.S. entity (e.g. their former U.S. employer). As a non-citizen, you probably have “standing” to bring a U.S. legal claim when that claim is based on events that occurred while you were working in H-1B status.

#2: It has been several years since I left my underpaying H-1B employer and left the U.S.- is it too late to file a legal claim? What are the deadlines?

If your wages were underpaid sometime within the last four (4) years, you still have time to consider taking legal action against your former employer.

There are several deadlines that may apply to your situation, ranging from one (1) to four (4) years or possibly longer.

The Department of Labor (DOL) has a one (1)- year deadline for filing a complaint for being paid under the prevailing wage.

Even when the DOL deadline has passed, there are other laws that may apply to your situation that have longer deadlines. For example, State wage laws often have two (2)- year or three (3)- year deadlines. Some State and Federal fraud laws have longer deadlines-one important federal fraud law that applies to underpaid H-1B wages has a deadline of four (4) years. Some applicable laws’ deadlines may be even longer.

#3: What makes a legal claim “good” or worth pursuing?

These are the most important factors that are likely to make a legal claim “good:”

• Your deadline hasn’t passed.

That is, at least some of your underpaid wages occurred within the last four (4) years.

• The amount of your underpaid wages is significant, i.e. tens of thousands of U.S. dollars or more.

If you were only underpaid a few weeks’ wages, then a legal action is probably not worthwhile for you to pursue.

If you lost a significant amount of wages, tens of thousands of dollars or more, then there is more you would stand to gain from a legal action.

Also, the greater the amount of lost wages, the more likely it is that an attorney would represent you on a contingency basis instead of requiring fees in advance. (Under a contingency arrangement, you do not have to pay your attorney out-of-pocket legal fees. Fees are only paid by the employer if you obtain a settlement or legal award. For more information on this subject, please see Question #7 below).

• You have LCA and pay stub documentation proving you were underpaid.

It will help your legal claim a great deal if you have copies of: (1) your Labor Certification Application (LCA) or other documents that prove what your prevailing wage was; and (2) pay stubs or other documents that prove your H-1B employer paid you less than the prevailing wage.

If you do not have these documents, you can still pursue your claim. Having these documents, however, makes a claim easier to prove and pursue.

#4 Will I have to file a legal complaint for my matter, or is it possible I can reach an agreement (settlement) with the employer without having to pursue a lawsuit?

Often, an H-1B worker will be able to reach a settlement with the employer without having to file a legal complaint. It is often in the employer’s best interests to reach a settlement rather than face the costs and risks of litigation. Employers often stand to lose a lot of money- if they lose a judgment, they may have to pay for your unpaid wages, pay additional penalty monies, and pay their own attorney fees and legal expenses. Thus, it is often in the employer’s best financial interest to reach a reasonable settlement with its former H-1B worker, before a legal complaint is filed.

If a legal complaint is filed, it is still possible that a settlement can be reached in the earlier stages of litigation, before the parties have spent a significant amount of money on litigation.

#5 If I pursued my unpaid wages from my former H-1B employer, would I have to travel to the U.S.?

Chances are you would not have to travel to the U.S. As mentioned above, there is a good chance you could reach a settlement with your employer before filing a legal complaint. If a legal complaint is not filed, there is no requirement that you travel.

If you cannot reach a settlement with the employer and you decide to file a legal complaint, then after the complaint is filed you could be required to travel to the U.S. As part of litigation, there are two potential occasions you may have to travel: You could be required to attend a deposition in the U.S., and you could be required to testify at trial. However, many cases in litigation are resolved before these occasions (a deposition or a trial) arise. In addition, if a deposition is necessary, it is possible the court will permit a video deposition so that you do not need to travel to the United States.

The bottom line is this: (1) the chances are good you could settle your unpaid wage matter without having to travel to the U.S.; (2) if you don’t settle your matter before litigation, you have a choice of filing a complaint (and possibly commit yourself to traveling) or not filing a complaint; and (3) if you file a complaint, your legal case may still be resolved without you having to travel to the U.S.

#6 If I have to travel to the United States for litigation, do I need a visa?

What if you do wind up filing a legal complaint and you do reach the point you are required to travel to the U.S. and attend a deposition or trial? Would you be legally-allowed to travel to the U.S.?

Visa regulations specifically allow foreign nationals to come to the United States on a tourist/business visa for litigation purposes. Therefore, if you are eligible for the Visa Waiver Program, you may enter the United States under that program and stay up to 3 months. Otherwise, you will need to obtain a regular tourist visa from the U.S. consulate in your country if you do not already have one.

If you are subject to a bar to re-entry because you significantly overstayed your last visa, engaged in unauthorized work, or are otherwise inadmissible to the United States, you may qualify for a non-immigrant visa waiver of inadmissibility. If these circumstances apply to you, you should consult with an attorney to discuss your options.

#7 If I hire an attorney to help pursue my unpaid wages from my former H-1B employer, how much would that cost me?

If you retained an attorney for your matter (the attorney must be someone licensed in the U.S.), there are several types of fee arrangements, some of which don’t require you to pay anything unless you win.

Some U.S. attorneys will represent H-1B workers with unpaid wages on a “contingency” basis.

If the attorney will work on contingency, that means you do not have to pay the attorney anything out of your pocket. The attorney is only paid if you settle or win your case. When you win your case, the H-1B employer will pay a percentage of your settlement or judgment (traditionally 33 1/3%) to your attorney for legal fees.

There are other types of legal fee arrangements where you do have to pay out of pocket legal fees. For example, many attorneys charge hourly legal fees, usually ranging between $150/hour to $300/hour (rates may be higher or lower depending on the locale and other factors). This hourly type of fee arrangement will require that you pay out-of-pocket money to your attorney, and you will get a regular bill from the attorney.

An hourly fee arrangement is ethical and common, and it could turn out to be a better financial deal for you in the long run than a contingency arrangement. However, the disadvantage of hourly fees is that these hours can add up quickly and become very expensive for you. In a short time (a matter of a few weeks or months), you could be charged thousands of dollars in hourly fees. If you pay hourly fees for long-term litigation, you could easily incur tens of thousands of dollars in hourly fees.

If you retain an attorney on an hourly basis, you should ask that attorney for a detailed budget and estimates of what you can expect to pay throughout the litigation process.

As you can see, one important issue to consider when you hire an attorney is whether that attorney will have a contingency fee arrangement or a different arrangement that requires you to pay out-of-pocket legal fees (like hourly billing).

Another important factor to consider when hiring an attorney is whether that attorney is experienced in dealing with H-1B wage issues, immigration issues, and employment disputes and litigation.

There is a blog post here (Important Questions to Ask When Hiring an Attorney), which details many important factors to consider when retaining an attorney.

Additional Information

For more H-1B employee rights information, please visit the blog www.h1blegalrights.com.

To learn more about H-1B rights and options, please see these posts:

• “Employee Tip: If You’re an H-1B Worker Being Underpaid Wages, Consider These Things”
• “5 Reasons Why an H-1B Employer Would Want to Reach Settlement With An Underpaid Employee”
• “H-1B Workers’ Fears vs. Fighting for Your Rights”
• “FAQS- If You Were Underpaid as an H-1B Worker and Are No Longer in the U.S.”

For information about H-1B Rights & Immigration Rights Attorneys Michael F. Brown and Vonda K. Vandaveer, please visit here.

This post was jointly authored by Employee Rights Attorney Michael Brown of the law firm of Peterson, Berk & Cross, and Immigration Attorney Vonda K. Vandaveer of the law firm V.K. Vandaveer, P.L.L.C. Attorney Vandaveer authors the blog U.S. Business and Immigration Law.

DISCLAIMER: The information in this article is NOT legal advice, nor does it establish an attorney-client relationship between you and the attorneys or law firms above. Legal advice often varies between situations. If you want legal advice for your specific circumstances, you must consult with an attorney.

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If you are an H-1B professional worker who is being underpaid wages, please know that you have legal rights. The information below describes your rights as an H-1B professional, and factors and options you should consider before taking legal action or pursuing your wages. (Please note this post does not provide legal advice- if you want legal advice, you should contact an attorney who is experienced with H-1B wage matters and talk with the attorney about your specific circumstances).

• Before you complain to the employer or file a legal complaint, consider what deadlines (statutes of limitations) are involved.

If you think you may bring a legal challenge against your H-1B sponsor employer because they have not paid your full wages or have otherwise treated you unfairly, please know that several deadlines (or “statutes of limitations”) apply to your matter.

First of all, if you are considering a wage complaint with the Department of Labor (DOL), there is a one-year deadline for filing such a complaint. A DOL complaint (as discussed more below) may not necessarily be your best or strongest claim, but because it is among your options it is important to take the one-year deadline into account.

You may have the option to file a civil wage claim in court, and several such wage claims have two-year deadlines. If, for instance, you filed a civil complaint on January 1, 2009 that included such a wage claim, you could only pursue the wage claim to recover unpaid wages dating back to January 1, 2007.

There may be other claims available to you that have longer deadline periods. Certain fraud claims may apply to your situation (separate from or in addition to wage claims as mentioned above), and such fraud claims may have deadlines up to four years or more.

The bottom line is this: (1) be aware that deadlines apply to your matter; (2) as soon as possible, you should learn about all the applicable deadlines, and your legal rights and options; and (3) make plans in light of those deadlines and options.

This does not mean that you immediately have to complain to your employer about unpaid wages, or take immediate legal action against your employer. For example, an H-1B employee may decide to delay legal action (and accept some losses of potential legal damages under statutes of limitations), because in the overall picture it is better the employee find a new employer and make an H-1B transfer to a new employer-sponsor before pursuing a legal action. Waiting a set amount of time may well be the best option under your particular circumstances. But it is never too early to learn about all your potential options and deadlines, so you can know the risks, make informed decisions and take well-timed actions from day one.

To learn more about the legal rights and deadlines that apply to your situation, you can consult with an H-1B employee rights attorney. Many attorneys (including me) offer free phone consultations to discuss an employee’s specific circumstances, deadlines and options.

• Consider the risk of retaliation, and any risks to your immigration status, before you challenge the employer’s underpayment of wages.

If your employer is not paying you the wages you were promised, then several laws may be violated, as is described below. Further, if your employer retaliates against you because you complained about unpaid wages, there are laws that prohibit retaliation as well.

However, just because a law exists (e.g. a law that prohibits retaliation, or a law that prohibits driving through a red light) doesn’t mean that people will obey that law (some people still run red lights, and some employers still retaliate against workers for making complaints about unpaid wages).

Before you complain about your unpaid wages, you should evaluate whether the employer may retaliate, and you should make sure you are in a secure position under immigration law (e.g. at a new job, with your H-1B lawfully transferred).

If you are considering a complaint against your current employer, consider how your employer may react, and how strong the risk of retaliation is. If the risk of retaliation is high (e.g. if the employer has threatened visa workers with job termination and deportation if they make complaints), then you should consider the option of finding a new employer/visa sponsor before you pursue a complaint. After you have transferred to the new employer, you will be in a better position to start a legal action against the underpaying employer.

If you do decide to transfer to a new employer, you should strongly consider consulting with an immigration attorney: that is, an independent immigration attorney who was not retained by the underpaying employer and who does not represent that employer’s interests.

In my review of H-1B workers’ potential wage claims, I work with immigration counsel who is specifically involved to advise the H-1B worker on his or her visa issues and interests. That attorney has no affiliation with the original (underpaying) employer, and is working only in the H-1B employee’s interests. An attorney like this- one who is retained only for your interests- can advise about the legalities of an H-1B transfer to a new employer and other issues, and you don’t have to worry about the attorney owing any duty to your former employer, or having any conflict of interest.

If your wage complaints concern a former employer, and you already transferred your H-1B visa to a new (and hopefully more honest) employer, these are probably better circumstances for a legal action. When you have a new employer and your immigration status is intact, you can pursue your unpaid wages from your former employer with far less risk of retaliation.

The bottom line is this: before you pursue any complaint about an employer, you should consider the big picture and consider any risks of retaliation or risks to your immigration status. An attorney can help you plan and navigate through any such risks, and help you transfer to a new employer before you pursue legal action against the underpaying employer.

• Consider the laws and legal rights that protect H-1B workers.

If your H-1B employer has underpaid you or otherwise treated you unfairly, there are several types of laws that may potentially be violated. The laws include: (1) immigration law and Department of Labor (DOL) regulations (e.g. regulations requiring that the “prevailing wage” be paid to H-1B workers, or regulations requiring that the employer not deduct certain expenses from H-1B workers’ paychecks); (2) federal overtime and minimum wage laws; (3) State wage laws; and (4) various fraud laws.

Here is a link to immigration regulations that address an employer’s obligations to you. These laws include, but are not limited to, the employer’s obligations (1) to pay you the prevailing wage or actual wage; (2) to provide you comparable benefits (health insurance, etc.) as U.S. workers are provided; (3) to not make unfair deductions from your paychecks (e.g. to cover certain visa costs, rent deductions, etc.).

The DOL provides summary information about H-1B employees’ rights at this webpage and this one as well.

As DOL’s web page indicates, H-1B workers can file wage complaintsto DOL – you can find your local DOL contact information here, to learn more about filing a wage complaint.

Please note that the DOL’s authority is limited. For example, while you can submit a complaint to DOL and they can potentially determine that the employer violated certain wage or immigration laws, the DOL does not have authority to consider several other types of claims (e.g. fraud claims, State wage law claims), and cannot award several remedies and damages (monies) that you could pursue with a complaint in court.

This is not to say you should file a complaint in court, or should not file a complaint with DOL. Rather, you should know there are advantages and disadvantages in pursuing a DOL complaint rather than a court complaint. The same is true vice versa.

Again, you can benefit from having an H-1B rights attorney review your circumstances, advise you about various options, and the advantages and disadvantages of each.

• Keep Documentation.

If there is any possibility that in the future you may pursue your unpaid wages or pursue a legal complaint, you must keep documentation. Specifically, you should: (1) save all your immigration documents (Labor Certification Application, employer’s letters to government, etc.); (2) save all your payroll-related documents (paycheck stubs, W-2 forms, copies of timecards, copies of work schedules, copies of employer’s notes and letters about wages, etc.); (3) save copies of employment contracts, memos, letters, emails and any other documents from the employer that relate to your wages, employment status, visa status, discipline, or job termination.

You should also keep a journal. In the journal, you should write down dates, names, and descriptions of important events. For example, your journal should describe: (1) any threats the employer made (e.g. if someone threatened to deport employees who complained about being underpaid, you should write down the name and job title of the person who made this threat, the date the threat was made, and a description of exactly what was said); and (2) any complaints or objections that you made to the employer about unpaid wages or unfair treatment (e.g. on X date, you complained to Manager Y about being underpaid and having unfair deductions from your paycheck). If anything happens during your employment that you feel is unfair or important, you should write down that information in a journal; otherwise, you may forget important details later.

• Consider the various actions you could take.

An H-1B worker who has been underpaid may take one or more of the following actions: (1) research internet information (e.g. DOL’s websites, legal websites and blogs, etc.) about your legal rights and options; (2) contact an H-1B employee rights attorney to discuss your legal rights and options; (3) contact an immigration attorney (other than any attorney your employer secured or who has a conflict of interest with you) to discuss any visa transfer or immigration concerns you may have; (4) contact DOL and/or a State wage-enforcement agency to discuss your legal rights and options; (5) assuming there is no significant risk of retaliation, you could contact the employer (through an attorney or on your own) to try to resolve your matters without legal action; (6) file a legal complaint with DOL or a State wage-enforcement agency; and/or (7) file a legal complaint in federal or state court.

Each of these actions has potential advantages and disadvantages, and an attorney or government adviser could help you clarify your deadlines, options and plans.

If you have felt trapped or taken advantage of, please know there is light at the end of the tunnel. You have legal rights, and potentially strong rights at that. Regardless of whether you pursue your unpaid wages, you should do all you can to ensure you have employment where the employer respects your H-1B rights, and human rights. I wish you the best.

Additional Information

For more H-1B employee rights information, please visit the blog www.h1blegalrights.com.

To learn more about H-1B rights and options, please see these posts:

• “Employee Tip: If You’re an H-1B Worker Being Underpaid Wages, Consider These Things”
• “5 Reasons Why an H-1B Employer Would Want to Reach Settlement With An Underpaid Employee”
• “H-1B Workers’ Fears vs. Fighting for Your Rights”
• “FAQS- If You Were Underpaid as an H-1B Worker and Are No Longer in the U.S.”

For information about H-1B Rights & Immigration Rights Attorneys Michael F. Brown and Vonda K. Vandaveer, please visit here.

DISCLAIMER: The information in this blog is NOT legal advice, nor does it establish an attorney-client relationship between you and Employee Rights Attorney Michael Brown or the law firm of Peterson, Berk & Cross. Legal advice often varies between situations. If you want legal advice for your specific circumstances, you must consult with an attorney.

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Подсказка работникy: если Вы H-1B профессионал, которому недоплачивают заработную плату, подумайте над следующими вещами:

Если Вы профессионал, приехавший по визе H-1B, которому в настоящее время недоплачивают зарплату, знайте, что вы имеете юридические права. Приведенная ниже информация описывает Ваши права, нормы и опции, как H-1B профессионала, которые  вы должны рассмотреть до принятия каких либо юридических действий. (Обратите внимание, что эта статья не является юридически консультационной, если вы хотите юридический совет, то Вам
следует обратиться к адвокату, который имеет опыт работы с визами H-1B и невыплатой заработной платы и обсудить Ваши конкретные обстоятельства).

Если вы думаете, что имеете право на возбуждение иска против вашего H-1B спонсора-работодателя за невыплату полной заработной платы или за несправедливое отношение, знайте, что существуют сроки давности, которые к Вам относятся.

Прежде всего, если Вы собираетесь подать жалобу в Департамент труда, то срок для подачи такой жалобы – один год. Подача жалобы в Департамент труда не лучшее решение, но оно входит в число ваших вариантов и очень важно рассмотреть и принять годичный срок во внимание.

Вы можете подать  гражданский иск по недоплате заработной платы, срок рассмотрения таких претензий двух годичный период. Например, Вы подали гражданское исковое заявление 1 января 2009 года, значит, Вы имеете право на взыскание заработной платы за период с 1 января 2007 года.

Так же  у Вас  могут быть другие претензии, которые могут относиться к Вашему конкретному делу, на которые распространяется более длительный срок давности. Некоторые   претензии в связи с  мошенничеством могут относиться к Вашей ситуации (отдельно или в дополнение к иску по заработной плате, о котором упоминалось выше) и такие претензии из-за мошенничества могут иметь срок рассмотрения до четырех лет или более.

Суть вопроса состоит в следующем:

(1) Имейте в виду, что есть сроки, которые относятся к вашему иску;

(2)Вы должны выяснить все, что относится к вашему иску: сроки, права и возможности;

(3) Вы должны планировать иск уже с учетом всех возможностей и сроков.

Это не означает, что вам сразу нужно жаловаться своему работодателю по поводу невыплаченной заработной платы, или немедленно подавать судебный иск на него. Например, H-1B работник может принять решение об отсрочке подачи судебного иска (и согласиться с некоторыми потенциальными убытками в рамках правового положения о сроке давности), потому что работник нашел нового работодателя и H-1B будет переведена на нового работодателя-спонсора до реализации правовых действий. Отложить иск на некоторое время, может быть лучшим вариантом в вашем конкретном случае. Но никогда не поздно, узнать о всех возможных вариантах и сроках, что бы вы заранее знали о всех рисках и могли принимать правильные и своевременные решения.

Чтобы узнать больше о юридических правах и сроках, которые подходят к вашей ситуации, вы можете проконсультироваться с адвокатом, который занимается визами H-1B. Многие юристы (включая меня) предлагают бесплатные телефонные консультации, чтобы обсудить конкретные обстоятельства, сроки и варианты.

Если ваш работодатель не выплачивает вам заработную плату, которую он вам обещал, то в силу могут вступать сразу несколько законов, которые были  нарушены, как это описано ниже. Кроме того, если ваш работодатель начал ответные действия  против вас, из-за того что  вы пожаловались на  невыплату заработной платы, то существуют законы, запрещающии репрессии.

Тем не менее, только потому, что закон существует еще не значит, что его будут соблюдать(некоторые работодатели будут мстить работникам подавшим жалобу по поводу невыплаченной заработной платы).

Прежде чем жаловаться на невыплату заработной платы, вы должны оценить будет ли работодатель принимать ответные меры, так же вы должны убедиться, что вы находитесь в правильном иммиграционном статусе, не противоречащем законодательству (например, что Ваша виза H-1B была законно переведена к новому работодателю).

Если вы решили подать жалобу на Вашего нынешнего работодателя, то подумайте о том, как ваш работодатель может отреагировать, насколько велик риск подвергнуться репрессиям. Если риск репрессий велик (например, если работодатель пригрозил депортацией или увольнением работника с визой H-1B, если тот подаст  жалобу), то следует рассмотреть возможность нахождения нового работодателя / визы спонсора, прежде чем подавать  жалобу. После того как вы перейдете к новому работодателю, вы будете в более выгодном положении, чтобы начать судебный иск против недоплатившего заработную плату работодателя.

Если вы решили перейти к новому работодателю, то вам нужно проконсультироваться с  иммиграционным адвокатом: это должен быть независимый иммиграционный адвокат, который не был нанят работодателем, не доплатившим зарплату и который не представляет интересы работодателя.

При рассмотрении  потенциальных претензиях по заработной плате H-1B работников, я работаю в паре с иммиграционным адвокатом, который непосредственно консультирует H-1B работника о его или ее визовых проблемах и интересах. Этот адвокат не имеет связей с (не платящим) работодателем, и работает только в интересах H-1B служащего. Это адвокат, который работает только в Ваших интересах, может проинформировать Вас о всех юридических проблемах возникающих при переходе от одного работодателя к другому при наличии визы H-1B, вам не придется беспокоиться по поводу того, что адвокат имеет какие-либо обязательства перед Вашим бывшим работодателем или имеет какой-либо конфликт интересов.

Если вы уже перешли к новому работодателю и перевели Вашу H-1B визу, то у Вас уже более подходящие условия подать иск на старого работодателя, недоплатившего заработную плату. Когда  у вас есть новый работодатель и к вашему иммиграционному статусу невозможно подкопаться, вы можете подать иск, по невыплаченной заработной плате, на вашего  бывшего работодателя, не опасаясь возможных репрессий.

Суть вопроса состоит в следующем: прежде чем подавать какие-либо жалобы по поводу работодателя, вам следует рассмотреть полную картину и

предусмотреть все возможные риски такие как: риск репрессии или риск потери вашего иммиграционного статуса. Адвокат поможет вам справиться и сориентироваться в таких рисках, а также он Вам поможет при переводе визы от одного работодателя к другому, до того как Вы продолжите судебный иск против недоплатившего работодателя.

• Рассмотрите законодательство и законные права, которые защищают H-1B

(1) закон об иммиграции и правила Департамента Труда (существуют правила, требующие, чтобы была выплачена определенная ставка работникам H-1B визы или правило, требующие, чтобы работодатель не вычитал некоторые расходы из заработной платы работника H-1B визы);

(2) федеральный закон о сверхурочной и о минимальной заработной плате;

(3) штатские законы по заработной плате;

(4) различные законы против мошенничества.

Вот ссылка на иммиграционные правила, которые касаются обязательств работодателя к вам. Эти законы включают, но не ограничиваются, обязательствами работодателя:

(1) выплачивать вам преобладающую заработную плату или фактическую заработную плату;

(2) предоставить вам льготы, которые предоставляются работникам в США (медицинское страхование и т.д.);

(3) чтобы не делать несправедливые вычеты из вашей зарплаты (например, на покрытие расходов за оформление визы, на аренду и т.д.).

Департамент Труд предоставляет Вам информацию о правах работников H-1B на этой страничке и на этой страничке . 

Страничка Департамента Труда  указывается, что  H-1B работник может подать жалобу по заработной плате. Так же на страничке Департамента Труда – вы можете найти ваш местный Департамент Труд и контактную информацию здесь, чтобы узнать более подробную информацию о подаче жалобы по заработной плате.

Имейте в виду, что власть у Департамента труда  ограниченна. Вы можете подать жалобу в Департамент труда и они могут определить, что работодатель нарушил определенные законы, относящиеся к размерам заработной платы или к иммиграционным законам, но Департамент Труда  не имеет полномочий для рассмотрения других требований (например, мошенничество, штатские законы и требования по заработной плате), и не может присуждать возмещение ущерба (в денежном эквиваленте), которое можно востребовать с помощью иска в суде.

Это не означает, что вам следует подавать жалобу в суд, или не следует подавать жалобу в Департамент труда. Вы просто должны знать, какие существуют  преимущества и недостатки при подаче жалобы в Департамент труда, а не суд. То же самое можно сказать и наоборот.

Хочу напомнить, что вы можете воспользоваться услугами адвоката, который занимается Н-1В визами. Он поможет Вам рассмотреть все обстоятельства, сообщит вам о различных вариантах, а также преимуществах и недостатках каждого из них.

• Храните документацию.

Если существует возможность, того что в будущем Вы можете подать иск о невыплаченной заработной плате, то вы должны хранить документацию. В частности, вы должны:

(1) сохранить все иммиграционные документы (Labor Certification Application, письмо работодателя к правительству и т.д.);

(2) сохраните все документы, связанные с начислением заработной платы, (paycheck stubs, формы W-2, копии timecards, копии графиков работы, копии записок и писем от работодателя о заработной плате и т.д.);

(3) Сохраните копии трудовых договоров, меморандумов, писем, электронных сообщений и любые другие документы от работодателя, которые связаны с вашей заработной платой, рабочему статусу, по статусу визы, дисциплины или увольнения.

Вы также должны вести журнал. В журнале, вы должны записать даты, названия и описания важных событий.

Ваш журнал должен описывать:

(1) любые угрозы сделанные работодателем (например, если кто-то угрожал депортацией сотрудников, которые жаловались на недоплату зарплаты, Вы должны записать имя и должность того человека, который угрожал, дату когда угроза была сделана, и описание того, что было сказано)

(2) все жалобы или возражения, которые вы сделали  работодателю по поводу невыплаченной заработной платы или несправедливого обращения (например, такого то числа вы жаловались менеджеру такому то, на то, что Вам недоплатили или сделали несправедливые вычеты из заработной платы). Если Вы считаете, что во время вашей работы что-то происходит очень важное или к вам несправедливо относятся, вы должны записать эту информацию в журнал, чтобы не забыть в дальнейшем важные детали.

• Подумать о различных мерах, которые Вы можете предпринять.

Работник H-1B визы, которому недоплатили зарплату, может предпринять  следующие меры:

(1) изучить информацию на интернете (изучить информацию на интернет страничке Департамента труда, юридических страничек и обсуждения в интернете и т.д.) о законных правах и опциях;

(2) обратиться к адвокату специализирующемуся по визам H-1B, чтобы обсудить ваши юридические права и возможности;

(3) обратиться к иммиграционному адвокату (но не к адвокату, которого нанял Ваш работодатель, что бы исключить конфликт интересов), чтобы обсудить любые иммиграционные проблемы или перевод визы к другому работодателю;

(4) обратитесь в Департамент труда и / или штатскому агентству  по заработной плате, чтобы обсудить ваши юридические права и возможности;

(5) если допустить, что у вас не существует угрозы репрессий со стороны вашего работодателя, то вы можете связаться с работодателем для того, что бы попытаться урегулировать конфликт без судебного иска (через адвоката или самостоятельно);

(6) подайте жалобу в Департамент труда или/и штатскому агентству  по заработной плате;

(7) подайте судебный иск в федеральный или штатский суд.

Каждая из этих мер имеет потенциальные преимущества и недостатки, и адвокат или государственный консультант помогут разъяснить вам ваши опции, планы и положенные сроки.

Если вы чувствуете себя в безвыходной ситуации, пожалуйста знайте, что есть свет в конце туннеля. У Вас есть законные права. Независимо от того, будете ли вы подавать иск по невыплаченной заработной плате или нет, вы должны сделать все от Вас зависящее для того, чтобы работодатель уважал ваши H-1B права, так же как и права человека.

Желаю Вам всего наилучшего.

For more H-1B employee rights information, please visit the blog www.h1blegalrights.wordpress.com.

For information about H-1B Rights & Immigration Rights Attorneys Michael F. Brown and Vonda K. Vandaveer, please visit here.

The government is attempting to implement and enforce several strategies to tighten controls on illegal immigration.  One of their main “targets” is employers, and CNN Money recently ran an interesting article profiling a business owner near Madison, Wisconsin and what he must go through to make sure that no illegal aliens work for his landscaping business. 

“Nicholson, 59, won’t join his competitors in hiring illegals. His Bruce Co. (bruceco.com) employs about 600 workers (including 65 from Mexico) and generates $45 million in annual revenues. Each year Nicholson spends more than $25,000 to satisfy immigration authorities that he can’t find legal U.S. residents to fill all his job openings. He places want ads, submits interview records, and fills out reams of paperwork. Only then can he receive an allotment of H-2B work visas from the U.S. Customs and Immigration Service.”

Put simply, following the immigration rules is much more time-consuming and expensive for business owners, a reality that must be addressed before real immigration reform can take effect.  Regardless, if you have an immigration law issue before you, contact the Houston immigration lawyers at Smith & Garg today to schedule an initial consultation. 

Dear Ian:

F-1 Student Visa is a nonimmigrant visa that would allow aliens to enter the U.S to study.  Student visas are not limited to undergraduate and graduate programs, it is oftn the case, as it is in your situation (i.e. F-1 students visas can be applied to highschool and grade school students).  Subsequent to your undergraduate degree, you have several options.  First, you can maintain your F-1 by entering a graduate degree.  Alternatively, you can obtain employment authorization to work for one year after graduation under “Optional Practical Training,” (OPT).  Finally, an employer can also hires you, if you are qualified as an H-1B professional worker.  In which case, you will apply for a “change of status;” from an F-1 Student to an H-1B profesional worker. 

In your case, an employer is willing to sponsor you.  However, you must be working in your specialized field, and such field must be one of the categories in which USCIS determined that your job qualified as a “professional.”  You might want to talk to an immigration attorney to determine if you may be qualified for other visas, such as L-1 Intracompany Transferee, E-2 Treat Investor,  or an employer may even be able sponsor for your immigrant visa and to file for your green card if a visa is available.  Please contact us so that we can assist you in your immigration matter.