Another 35,000 workers will be allowed in the United States through a rule for more H-2B temporary, nonagricultural worker visas for employers seeking to hire from April 1 through Sept. 30.
The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor announced the joint rule March 31, according to a DHS release.
“Recognizing the importance of strong worker protections, we will apply greater scrutiny to those employers who have a record of violating obligations to their workers and the H-2B program,” Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of Homeland Security, said.
The current labor market demand led to the announcement of the additional visas to help support American businesses and expand legal pathways to the U.S., Mayorkas said, according to the release.
The H-2B program allows for employers to temporarily hire non-US citizens to perform nonagriculture labor or services in the U.S., according to the release.
The allocation was divided into 23,500 visas for returning workers who have received an H-2B visa or were otherwise granted H-2B status during one of the last three fiscal years, according to the release. Another 11,500 visas that are exempt from the returning worker requirement were reserved for nationals of Haiti, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.
