Why Homeland Security Needs to Release H-2B Visas

Posted by Brian Sparks|March 9, 2019

AmericanHort is strongly encouraging Kirstjen Nielsen, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to exercise her authority to release the nearly 70,000 additional temporary, non-immigrant H-2B visas in excess of the statutory annual cap of 66,000.

On March 4, 2019 a bipartisan group of 27 Senators and 110 Representatives presented a letter from Congress to Nielsen, urging her to quickly exercise the authority provided by Congress to release the full amount of visas authorized and simply continue processing H-2B petitions until any additional visa allotment is exhausted.

“With serious labor shortages bearing down on our industry as spring nears, we’re part of a full-court press for relief,” says Craig Regelbrugge, Senior Vice President of Advocacy and Research at AmericanHort. “This is a timely, strong, bipartisan letter from Congress compelling swift action to free up more visas in time to help secure a successful spring. Hopefully, Secretaries Nielsen and Acosta will heed the call.”

AmericanHort and partners in the H-2B Workforce Coalition have been working diligently to encourage DHS and elected officials to address the demand for temporary, seasonal workers. This strong show of bipartisan support is an acknowledgement of those efforts.