International Workers at SunFrog
SunFrog is a seasonal business that grows into peak seasons at different times of the year. Since the labor demands are not steady, SunFrog relies on shorter-term, seasonal workers to help meet demands during these peak times. It is always the goal to hire locally first and create opportunities for our neighbors.
The reality is, as more opportunity becomes available in and around Gaylord, MI, there are less local workers with the flexibility to help us build out a seasonal workforce.
To help mitigate that, and help maintain production for clients, SunFrog has supplemented our local talent with an international workforce - in much the same way many local resorts do. This often raises a number of questions, but it is a very formal and specific program.
- These team members are hired through a 3rd party agency. This agency does background checks, vetting, etc.
- All of the international workers are here via the H-2B “nonimmigrant” work visa (more)
- This is NOT paid for with tax dollars
- SunFrog does NOT get a tax benefit
- These workers are paid the standard SunFrog wages for their positions and SunFrog pays an additional agency fee. (i.e. - they are a more expensive workforce!)
- Almost everyone hired by SunFrog is a professional of some kind at home (teachers, firefighters, police officers, etc.)
These folks are willing to sacrifice time with family at home, because of the strength of the US dollar and the opportunity it affords them.
H-2B Visa
The H-2B visa program is a Federally run program that is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Labor with oversight by the Department of Homeland Security. This unique visa is a specific work visa that allows nonimmigrants the right to work in the US for a limited time, provided that work is temporary, short-term, and non-agricultural. The visa program also provides protections for American workers and prioritizes the domestic workforce first.
Employers that use workers on the H-2B visa program are held to a high standard and have to prove that local workers are prioritized and that the work is seasonal, short-term, or one-time in nature.
The H-2B program is also not a path to citizenship. It is a specific work visa for nonimmigrants - meaning that the expectation is that these workers will be returning to their home country.
While it’s not unreasonable to expect that some workers in this program may ultimately want to immigrate to the United States permanently, it is not through this program. They must find other ways to qualify for a change like that.
Programs like this are not new. There is a long and successful history for a great many companies, SunFrog included. SunFrog is proud to have been able to bring some outstanding people in to join our team to help meet seasonal demand. SunFrog is truly a global company operating in a modern, global economy.