Need guidance on work visa for my parent's business

[Lakeside92 1]

Hello all, 

 

I am hoping you can point me in the right location.  My parents live in a very rural area and getting employees for their general store is near impossible.  My mother is 69 and my father is 64.  They are getting too old to run the business without reliable help.  Finding employees is difficult and the ones they are able to get are not good and don't last long.  We have decided to try to get a work visa for someone in the Philipines.  This would be a full time position for someone who can run a register, clean, stock, and make pizzas and subs.  We are hoping to get someone in the position by next summer.  Can someone point me in the right direction?  If anyone has done this before tips would be very helpful.  

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

[Mollie09 1,543]

Are they looking for someone temporarily? You're not going to get a work visa for someone for a non-skilled position.

[Lakeside92 1]

They could do temporarily if need be. 

[Ben&Zian 4,397]

Really sounds like probably easier just hiring someone local but upping their pay maybe to get someone better or it would persuade someone to stay longer and work harder.... getting someone from overseas isn't exactly cheap so.. 

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

To make pizzas and subs & run a store? You need to show proof you can’t find someone local, you realize that? 

Why someone from the Philippines specifically for this? Is there a particular person you have in mind? A relation?

Edited October 12, 2018 by SusieQQQ

[Ben&Zian 4,397]

Filipinos in general are hard working people and dedicated... perhaps OP and their parents are also Filipinos so, figure connection would be better that way even down to language.

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

Just now, Ben&Zian said:

Filipinos in general are hard working people and dedicated... perhaps OP and their parents are also Filipinos so, figure connection would be better that way even down to language.

Many people from many countries are hard working. As are a lot of people already living in the US. 

[Ben&Zian 4,397]

1 minute ago, SusieQQQ said:

Many people from many countries are hard working. As are a lot of people already living in the US. 

 

Oh I know, again perhaps OP's family is Filipino so again culturally be the same and language even. Just an assumption, but also OP was specific about Philippines so.

I stick with raising their pay of the employee and just find someone better locally myself. Amazing what even a $1.00 an hour increase can do haha.

Edited October 12, 2018 by Ben&Zian

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

Just now, Ben&Zian said:

 

Oh I know, again perhaps OP's family is Filipino so again culturally be the same and language even. Just an assumption, but also OP was specific about Philippines so.

I stick with raising their pay of the employee and just find someone better locally myself.

I’m interested in whether there is already a specific person they have in mind, like a relative.  That would be my (more cynical than yours!) assumption. 

[Lakeside92 1]

15 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

To make pizzas and subs & run a store? You need to show proof you can’t find someone local, you realize that? 

Why someone from the Philippines specifically for this? Is there a particular person you have in mind? A relation?

I do realize that.  We have run newspaper ads and Facebook ads.  There just isn't enough people in the area who want jobs.  The last time we hired 2 teenagers, but they aren't going to work out.  This is not a one-time thing, but a problem in the area.  It's very rural.  There are less than 650 people in the town.  

 

We don't have any particular person in mind.  We choose the Philippines because they speak English and we know of people who have had success with Filipino workers. We are not Filipinos but have Filipinos in the family. 

 

15 minutes ago, Ben&Zian said:

Really sounds like probably easier just hiring someone local but upping their pay maybe to get someone better or it would persuade someone to stay longer and work harder.... getting someone from overseas isn't exactly cheap so.. 

Not if there is no one who wants to work. The employees we do have are not good.  They are lazy an unreliable. This is not an option as we have tried everything.  We have had the business since 1992.  At my parent's age I can't hope that a local worker is going to work out.  We need someone dependable and is willing to work. The cost is not a problem as it is a business expense. 

Edited October 12, 2018 by Lakeside92

[mniceguy16 184]

There are phillipinos in the US looking for jobs,is there something else op doesn't wanna tell us???

[Sarah&Facundo 576]

You would have to prove no one in the entire USA can do the job. They will likely ask why you haven't tried to get someone to relocate from another city in our state or even another state in general (which is way cheaper anyway).  That isn't a high level job and we have lots of unemployed people in the US.

Edited October 12, 2018 by Sarah&Facundo

[Ben&Zian 4,397]

3 minutes ago, Lakeside92 said:

I do realize that.  We have run newspaper ads and Facebook ads.  There just isn't enough people in the area who want jobs.  The last time we hired 2 teenagers, but they aren't going to work out.  This is not a one-time thing, but a problem in the area.  It's very rural.  There are less than 650 people in the town.  

 

We don't have any particular person in mind.  We choose the Philippines because they speak English and we know of people who have had success with Filipino workers. We are not Filipinos but have Filipinos in the family. 

 

Not if there is no one who wants to work. The employees we do have are not good.  They are lazy an unreliable. This is not an option as we have tried everything.  We have had the business since 1992.  At my parent's age I can't hope that a local worker is going to work out.  We need someone dependable and is willing to work. The cost is not a problem as it is a business expense. 

 

Understandable. Hiring people, especially teenagers, can be hit and miss in general unless really assess their work history and have good references but again then you pay more for their services and quality.

[Lakeside92 1]

2 minutes ago, mniceguy16 said:

There are phillipinos in the US looking for jobs,is there something else op doesn't wanna tell us???

Really?  Why the attitude? I am just asking for advice.  I am not an expert. I can't force people to apply for jobs.

 

4 minutes ago, Sarah&Facundo said:

You would have to prove no one in the entire USA can do the job. They will likely ask why you haven't tried to get someone to relocate from another city in our state or even another state in general (which is way cheaper anyway).  That isn't a high level job and we have lots of unemployed people in the US.

It's a job that many people can do.  It isn't skilled, but there is no labor in the area and no one from out of the area applies. If we need to try to advertise in a wider location, we would do it.  Our goal is to get workers.  A local worker with skills is best, but we haven't had anyone apply.

 

1 minute ago, Ben&Zian said:

 

Understandable. Hiring people, especially teenagers, can be hit and miss in general unless really assess their work history and have good references but again then you pay more for their services and quality.

We would be happy to hire adult workers with experience at a hire wage.  However, we do not have anyone applying. We take the teenagers with no experience and train them because we are desperate for workers.

[Ben&Zian 4,397]

I assume as was mentioned, I assume you all have looked outside the local area even at potentially helping relocate someone? As said probably still easier and cheaper; but still could be difficult to persuade someone to move from a large city to a smaller area.