About Doug Mentes, Esq.
Douglas Mentes is an alum of Drake University with a degree in journalism, who has covered news in Washington, D.C., Minneapolis and Salt Lake City. He has a law degree from William Mitchell College of Law and ran his own law firm for more than 10 years in St. Paul, Minnesota, earning designation as a Super Lawyers Rising Star. He practiced in the areas of family law, real estate and probate, handling several successful appeals. He currently covers bankruptcy law for Thomson Reuters.
Articles written by Doug Mentes, Esq.
What Is the Process for Hiring H-2B Workers?
The H-2B non-immigrant visa program allows employers to hire foreign workers to come to the U.S. and perform temporary nonagricultural work. This includes seasonal workers and on-time occurrence workers. Hiring H-2B workers involves the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and U.S. immigration laws. For legal advice about hiring temporary workers and the H-2B process, talk to an immigration lawyer. How Employers Qualify To Hire H-2B Workers For employers to get H-2B workers, they must show that …
Common Pitfalls for Employers Hiring H-2B Visa Holders
Immigration law is subject to the political decisions of the U.S. President or Congress at any time. While many employers look for foreign labor to fill positions, many politicians claim legal immigration policy is harming the country and American workers. These two forces can greatly impact employers of foreign workers. Employers participating in the H-2B visa program must get current on immigration policy and know how it will be enforced on them and their workers. “What we know is that the …
How To Get Temporary Labor Certification for Foreign Workers
Foreign workers coming to the U.S. have an extra hurdle to gain entry compared to other visitors and immigrants: the foreign labor certification process. However, it is actually the U.S. employer who's responsible for completing the process, which varies depending on whether the worker is seeking permanent residence or a temporary visa. For legal advice on your situation, consult with a local immigration lawyer. Two Visas, Two Processes for Temporary Workers For temporary workers, there are two …
How Do I Get an H-1B Visa?
The H-1B visa is named for the section of the U.S. code in which it appears. It’s a temporary, non-immigrant visa for foreign workers, although some professionals qualify for other visa options, too. H-1B visa holders are often associated with IT professionals in Silicon Valley, because the bulk of the H-1B holders are employed in IT-related positions. But H-1B worker are located across the U.S. in a variety of positions. For legal advice on obtaining an H-1B visa, speak with an experienced …
Does My Neighbor Have a Prescriptive Easement?
An easement is a property right letting someone use another person's property for a specific purpose. The easement holder does not own the land over which the easement travels. The owner of the land on which the easement occurs remains the owner and pays the property taxes. Typically, the use of the easement is to access a road or another part of the easement holder’s own property. Most property owners know that their use of the property is subject to an easement because the easement is …
How Long Does It Take To Get Adverse Possession in Texas?
Texas adverse possession law is an extreme remedy in real estate. Most people are shocked to hear that a trespasser can acquire someone else’s real property simply by possession of the land for a period of years. Although it’s true, it’s very difficult to accomplish. Reach out to an experienced real estate lawyer for legal advice if you're dealing with an adverse possession situation. When Do Adverse Possession Claims Arise? Typically, a claim of adverse possession is between neighbors …
What Is a Notice To Appear in Immigration Court?
Deportation does not apply just to individuals who enter the United States without authorization. U.S. immigration authorities deport anyone who overstayed their visa or committed certain crimes while in the country lawfully. AThe United States government may initiate removal proceedings against any person by serving that person with a Notice to Appear (NTA) for a removal hearing. As with many areas of immigration law, policies and legal requirements around NTAs have shifted in recent years. If …
What Happens If I Make a Mistake on Immigration Documents?
Immigration law is thought to be one of the more complex areas of law in which experienced legal counsel is necessary. If that was true before, it is certain now. Until now, if a person applied for immigration benefits and mistakenly neglected to submit a certain immigration form, or perhaps did not fill out a form sufficiently, that person could expect a Request for Evidence (RFE) or a Notice of Intend to Deny (NOID) in response. Those notices or requests served as an opportunity for the …
How To Bring Your Foreign Fiancé to the US
The fiancé, or K-1 nonimmigrant visa, is for a foreign-citizen fiancé of a United States citizen. If the goal of the U.S. citizen and their fiancé is to live together in the U.S. permanently, obtaining the K-1 visa is only the first step in a two-step process: Get the K-1 visa Adjust status to permanent residency “Fiancé visas are meant to bring someone who is overseas into the U.S. with the express purpose of getting married within 90 days,” says Jason Karavias, an immigration …
How Do Employers Determine Prevailing Wage?
One of the most important parts of labor certification for employers of visa applicants is determining the prevailing wage rate — the wage the employer will be required to pay the foreign temporary employee. Prevailing wages must be determined when applying for different types of occupational classification, including: H-1B – typically professional positions with high skill levels H-2A – agricultural workers H-2B – non-agricultural workers For legal advice in determining prevailing …
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