SEA will be cohosting another educational and informational event in Guatemala and El Salvador February 24-29 to showcase the Northern Central American Initiative to our membership. In February of 2023, we offered our membership the ability to travel to El Salvador and Guatemala to interview applicants. The event was a tremendous success. Attendees ended up requesting over 500 NCA workers and reported a less than 5% abscondment rate. They attributed their low absconion rates to interviewing and vetting the workers in-person.
On November 17th, DHS announced its intent to release an additional 20,000 H-2B visas for employers for nationals of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Haiti, Colombia, Ecuador, and Costa Rica with a FY24 date of need (October 1, 2023-September 30, 2024). As of January 23, 2024, 6,294 beneficiaries had either been approved or requested. We do not anticipate this cap will be reached.
Now that the lottery results have been announced for employers with an April 1st date of need, we have many members who did not win the lottery meaning, absent winning the returning worker cap relief lottery, they will not be receiving their returning workers. We are encouraging our members to look at a Northern Central American workforce as either a backup option if you have returning workers and if you are new to the program, NCA workers may be your only option!
This event falls at a good time. If you return your candidate selections shortly after the event, you should receive your workers close to when eligible. Any delays are more likely to be the result of slow DOL processing.
WHAT: SEA NCA SHOWCASE
WHERE: GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMELA AND SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR
WHEN: FEBRUARY 24 – FEBRUARY 29
Guatemala Hotel: The Westin, click here to access the group rate
San Salvador Hotel: Sheraton Presidente, click here to access group rate
Paraiso Escondido: Email Rosa at marketing@paraisoescondidoelsalvador.com to make your reservation.
Agenda
Saturday, February 24
- Fly into Guatemala City
- Welcome dinner
Sunday, February 25
- Antigua visit
Monday, February 26
- Worker interviews
Tuesday, February 27
- Worker interviews
- Travel to San Salvador. Book either Avianca flight 589 departing at 8:10 PM or at Avianca flight 555 departing at 1:20 PM depending on your interview schedule.
Wednesday, February 28
- Worker interviews
- Volcano visit, mountaintop dinner
Thursday, February 29
- Worker interviews
- Meet with returning workers
Friday, March 1 – Sunday, March 3
- Optional stay at Paraiso Escondido. Paraiso Escondido is located on a cliffside on the Pacific Ocean. It is a true paradise, a place where you put your phone away and forget the world you must return to in the United States. There is nothing like it in the world. Click here for reviews and photos.