Some Filipinos’ bid for the American Dream just got harder.
Filipino citizens are no longer eligible for two types of work visas offered by the United States government, its Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced in a notice published over the weekend.
These work visa types were identified as the H-2A for seasonal agricultural workers and H-2B for skilled and unskilled workers.
Seasonal agricultural workers are those who are hired to fill temporary agricultural jobs in the U.S. Similarly, skilled and unskilled workers under the H-2B visa are those hired for jobs that are temporary or seasonal in nature.
Employers who seek to petition workers for either of the visas must prove that there were no qualified U.S. workers eligible for the type of employment.
The DHS said the Philippines’ removal from their list of eligible countries was brought by a high overstay rate.
“In FY 2017, DHS estimated that nearly 40 percent of H-2B visa holders from the Philippines overstayed their period of authorized stay,” the notice reads.
Colloquially known as “TNT” or “tago ng tago” (always hiding), overstaying is common among Filipinos who want to stay in the U.S. for a better life.
Many Filipinos still see the U.S. in a positive light, with a majority of those surveyed in a recent study saying that it is the most trustworthy country.
The DHS’ notice said that the U.S. Embassy in Manila also issues the most “T-derivative visas” in the world which are given to family members of T-1 non-immigrants or those who were victims of human trafficking.
“U.S. Embassy Manila issued approximately 40 percent of the total T-derivative visas issued worldwide from FY 2014-2016,” the notice reads.
The DHS found that approximately 60 percent of those T-1 status recipients whose spouses were issued T-2 visas during the same period were trafficked to the U.S. on H-2B visas.
“The Philippines’ continued inclusion creates the potential for abuse, fraud, and other harm to the integrity of the H-2A or H-2B visa programs,” the notice adds.
Apart from the Philippines, Ethiopian nationals were also removed from the U.S. eligibility list for both visas. Those from the Dominican Republic, on the other hand, were only banned from the H-2B visa.
According to the DHS’ notice, these changes took effect on Jan. 19. The list of eligible countries is renewed each year.
The notice, however, does not affect those who currently hold valid H-2A or H-2B nonimmigrant status.
Filipinos started immigrating to the U.S. in the late 19th century, according to the Migration Policy Institute. It remains to be one of the most popular destinations for Overseas Filipino Workers and migrants.
In 2016, more than 1.9 million Filipinos lived in the U.S.
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