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Produced & Maintained by Idaho Mountain Express, Box 1013, Ketchum, ID 83340-1013 
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Copyright © 2003 Express Publishing Inc.
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Wednesday, April 7, 2004

News

Visa shortage puts SV Resort in hiring pinch


By GREGORY FOLEY
Express Staff Writer

Faced with a shortage of government visas for temporary foreign workers, Sun Valley Resort is seeking to hire more Idahoans to fill seasonal jobs.

Matt Parke, Sun Valley Co. human resources manager, said Monday that the company could have as many as 140 openings for employment this summer. The need arose after the federal government stopped issuing in March a type of visa known as the H-2B.

Jack Sibbach, spokesman for Sun Valley Co., said the development will force changes in how the company fills employment vacancies.

"It will, of course, limit the number of new employees we can get internationally," he said. "It will require us to up our recruiting efforts at colleges and locally."

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office on March 9 announced that it would not issue any more H-2B visas until October because the annual cap of 66,000 had been reached for this fiscal year.

Chris Bentley, spokesman for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, said Monday that demand for H-2B visas has been unusually high in 2004.

"This year is actually the first year we’ve met the cap," Bentley said. "After March 9, we’re returning all applications for H-2B visas."

The government issues H-2B visas to allow nonprofessional, nonagricultural foreign workers to perform a specific job in the United States. The visas—which are valid for up to one year—are often used by companies seeking to legally hire foreign workers to fill seasonal, tourism-related jobs.

H-2B visas can be renewed to allow an employee to work up to three consecutive years. The foreign employees work for wages set by the federal government, which typically run somewhat lower than typical wages in resort towns such as Sun Valley and Ketchum.

Parke said Sun Valley Co. had intended to use the H-2B program to "sponsor" approximately 200 foreign workers for the summer season.

After being notified that the cap was reached, the company determined it could fill approximately 60 positions with existing H-2B employees who can be granted visa extensions. The extensions will allow employees already in the United States to stay in the country through the spring off-season and commence seasonal summer work on June 5, Parke said.

The estimated 140 summer-job vacancies—mostly food service and hotel staff positions—will be advertised in Idaho and at various universities in the Northwest.

"This is putting us in a pretty unique position," Parke said.

The federal cap on H-2B visas does not affect issuance of J-1 visas, which are typically acquired through a privately operated liaison and allow workers the freedom to change employers.

Parke noted that Sun Valley Co. typically employs approximately 100 foreign workers holding J-1 visas.

"This year, we expect to have a few more because of the lack of H-2Bs," he said.

Parke said he is optimistic Sun Valley Co. can fill the unexpected vacancies.

"We still feel like we’re competitive in the area."

Bentley said the federal government will accept new applications for H-2B visas on Oct.1, the start of its 2004-2005 fiscal year.

In the meantime, Congress is considering three separate bills to ease the visa shortage. None have been signed into law.


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The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.





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