As the landscaping season in Ohio starts to wind down, our Hispanic staff begins to head home for the winter. As you may know, we utilize the H-2B visa nonimmigrant program—which permits employers to hire foreign workers to come temporarily to the United States and perform temporary nonagricultural services or labor for seasonal businesses.
The program has been in place since 1985. We started utilizing the program in 2003. We currently employ 17 men and women. There are several steps in the process to secure this Legal workforce, which include both the Departments of Homeland Security and Department of Labor. Our team of H-2B workers are permitted to work with us for up to 10 months within the given year. They arrive the first of March and most will return home during the month of November—when their families’ obligations for farming become important back home. And, let’s be honest, they are very much missing their wives and children. They are a great group of workers who are a vital part of M.J. Design. They exemplify the true values of the company: hard working, conscientious about the quality of work performed and they care about our clients. We miss them when they are gone, but always look forward to their return the following season. If you would like to know more about the H-2B visa program, the steps we have to take to secure our labor certification and visa petitions, or the burdens the government puts on us with this program, feel free to reach out. We love to talk about the program and what we all can do to help keep it going.