While there are many options for non-U.S. citizens to legally work in the U.S., sometimes the process of obtaining a work visa can be complicated. Unfortunately, some U.S. employers are skeptical of a person’s employment status or afraid of being fined for hiring people who are not allowed to work in the U.S. This can make it very difficult on immigrants who have been approved to work in the U.S.
Recently, a situation similar to this happened in San Diego. Last month, the University of California, San Diego Medical Center was sued by the federal government over its hiring practices for immigrant employees. According to the government, the hospital was requiring immigrant employees and job applicants to provide an excessive and unfair amount of documentation before they could be hired. The federal government added that U.S. citizens were not subjected to the same treatment.
Although the medical center maintained that it had been properly following federal rules and regulations about hiring immigrant workers, it agreed to make changes to its hiring procedures. The U.S. Justice Department announced last week that the complaint had been settled out of court. The University of California, San Diego Medical Center will pay a $115,000 civil penalty in addition to using new methods of verifying a person’s immigration status.
Many people who are not U.S. citizens have the right to work in this country without being subjected to excessive screening. People who have employment visas but are still being treated unfairly in the hiring process may find it helpful to seek advice from an experienced legal professional.
Source: The Sacramento Bee, “San Diego hospital settles lawsuit on immigrants,” Associated Press, Jan. 4, 2012
