An additional 20,000 H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas are available through March to assist U.S. employers that are facing irreparable harm without additional workers, the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Labor recently announced.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the move will help the economy.

“We are providing employers with the resources and support needed to sustain their businesses while expanding lawful pathways to the United States,” Mayorkas said in the Jan. 27 release. 

While the needs of the economy are at the forefront, Mayorkas added DHS and DOL are working to protect against the exploitation of H-2B workers. Of the additional visas, 13,500 will be allocated to returning workers that received H-2B visas during one of the past three fiscal years, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

According to the release, 6,500 of the visas, exempt from the returning worker requirement, have been reserved for nationals of Haiti, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

The visas apply to U.S. employers seeking to employ additional workers on or before March 31, according to the release.