Last week, Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said the administration plans a one-stop shop for those using the H-2A guestworker program.
In a memorandum dated June 23, Chavez-DeRemer called for the establishment of the Office of Immigration Policy.
“Given the high-profile nature of employment-based immigration and necessity to coordinate implementation of administration policy objectives across multiple federal agencies, I hereby temporarily establish the Office of Immigration Policy (OIP) within the Office of the Secretary to more effectively assist me in carrying out my responsibilities under the Immigration and Nationality Act,” Chavez-DeRemer said in the memorandum.
According to a Department of Labor spokesperson, Chavez-DeRemer will appoint Brian Pasternak, who currently serves as the administrator of the Office of Foreign Labor Certification in Employment and Training Administration (ETA), as the director of this new Office of Immigration Policy.
Chavez-DeRemer said the responsibilities of the Office of Immigration Policy will:
- Establish strategic oversight and resource management of funding for immigration related work across the department and any additional funding or forms of resources
- Establish strategic management and policy priorities for immigration related work streams, then provide day-to-day direction and oversight to implement these priorities in close coordination with affected DOL agency heads
- Monitor the administration of foreign labor certification activities and develop customer-centered policies, in consultation with the assistant secretary for ETA, to improve access to employment-based visa programs, optimize program performance, and ensure use of the latest technologies to improve service delivery and continuity of operations
- Establish strategic priority and scope for all immigration related policy and regulatory projects and provide management oversight to track and coordinate the timely completion of all project milestones and deadlines
- Manage priorities, expectations and communications of immigration related initiatives and projects with external partners, including the Office of Management and Budget, United States Digital Service, Congress, press, and other relevant external stakeholders, in close coordination with internal DOL agency heads (e.g., OCIA, OPA)
- Oversee coordination with and between other relevant federal agencies, including the Departments of Homeland Security, State, and Agriculture
