Department of Homeland Security and Department of Labor confirmed the availability of further H-2B visas for back half of the fiscal year.
There will be 35,000 new H-2B temporary visas available, and they will go to nonagricultural workers, according to a May 16 Department of Homeland Security news release.
"These additional H-2B visas will help employers meet the demand for seasonal workers at this most critical time, when there is a serious labor shortage," Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said, according to the release. “The visas are accompanied by significant worker protections and provide a safe and lawful pathway for individuals to come to the United States and earn wages in jobs that are not filled by American workers."
These further H-2B visas are intended for U.S. employers trying to employ additional workers on or after April 1 through Sept. 30. According to the release, 23,500 of the visas will be available to returning workers who received an H-2B visa or were otherwise granted H-2B status during one of the last three fiscal years. The rest of the 11,500 visas are being reserved for nationals of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Haiti.
