U.S. Announces Boost in Temporary Worker Visas
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Labor (DOL), has announced the availability of an additional 64,716 H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas for fiscal year (FY) 2024. This comes on top of the statutory cap of 66,000 H-2B visas allotted each fiscal year. Industries such as hospitality, tourism, landscaping, and seafood processing heavily rely on the H-2B program to meet seasonal demand. The supplementary visa allocation aims to address the shortage of U.S. workers in specific areas, contributing to the American economy.
To facilitate workforce planning for U.S. businesses, the USCIS and DOL are making these supplemental visas available at the beginning of FY 2024. The announcement reinforces the Biden Administration’s commitment, as outlined in the Los Angeles Declaration for Migration and Protection, to expand lawful pathways as an alternative to irregular migration. The initiative focuses on balancing the needs of employers with robust protections for both U.S. and foreign workers. Proposed regulations by DHS and DOL seek to strengthen worker protections in the H-2A and H-2B visa programs.
The H-2B supplemental includes an allocation of 20,000 visas for workers from countries like Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Honduras. This country-specific allocation aligns with the administration’s broader goal of building a safe, orderly, and humane immigration system. Additionally, 44,716 supplemental visas are designated for returning workers who received H-2B visas or were granted H-2B status in the last three fiscal years. The allocation is distributed between the first and second halves of the fiscal year, considering the varying demand for seasonal and temporary workers throughout the year.
The semiannual cap of 33,000 H-2B visas for the first half of FY 2024 was reached on October 11, 2023. The announcement reflects a strategic response to the labor needs of U.S. businesses while emphasizing the importance of protecting the rights of both domestic and foreign workers in the H-2B program.
#LawfullyImmigration #USImmigrationGuide #VisaSuccess #ImmigrationMadeEasy #USVisaTips #LegalAidForImmigrants #LawfullyApp #ImmigrationSupport #greencard #H2B #H2BVisa #USCISTracker#Immigrationlawyer #USCIS #H1B #H1BVisa
