US Needs More Worker Visas in 2019 to Prevent Damage to Seasonal Economy - Lawmakers
The Trump administration must allow more non-immigrant temporary workers to enter the United States, 138 members of Congress wrote in a letter to Secretary for Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen on Wednesday
"[W]e strongly urge you to... release, without delay and to the greatest extent allowed by law, additional H-2B visas sufficient to meet the certified demand of our seasonal employers," the letter said, according to a press release from Senator Mike Round.
The letter, citing Department of Labor data said the demand for temporary, seasonal workers, with a start date between April 1, 2019 and the end of fiscal year 2019, exceeds 95,000 workers, the release said.
"If significant H-2B cap relief is not provided, there will be severe consequences for seasonal businesses and our economy generally," the letter said.
The appropriations package passed by Congress and signed into law last month by President Donald Trump authorizes approximately 69,320 additional H-2B visas for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2019, the release noted.