BERLIN – While it took longer than expected, the federal government this week released an additional 35,000 H-2B visas for seasonal workers relied upon by many Eastern Shore businesses with the summer season rapidly approaching.
The federal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Labor announced last Monday they were releasing an additional 35,000 temporary H-2B visas for the remainder of the year. The release of the additional H-2B visas was made possible by an amendment co-sponsored by Congressman Andy Harris to the fiscal year 2022 DHS appropriations bill, which was signed into law in March.
The release of the additional H-2B visas could provide a shot in the arm for many Lower Shore businesses that rely on the temporary, seasonal workforce they provide. The H-2B guest worker program provides access to seasonal temporary labor to businesses that can prove they were unable to hire willing and qualified American workers in certain non-agricultural seasonal roles.
U.S. employers are allowed to bring foreign nationals to this country to fill temporary, non-agricultural jobs with H-2B status. Unlike the J-1 visas, the workers are generally not students and there is not a work and travel component connected to the H-2B visas. The H-2B visa workers are seasonal and are relied upon heavily by the tourism, hospitality, landscaping, seafood and construction industries, for example.
There are 66,000 H-2B visas made available each year, with half allocated for the summer season and half allocated for the winter season. However, because of acute labor shortages in certain sectors of the economy, the DHS earlier this year made an additional 35,000 H-2B visas available for the remainder of the federal fiscal year.
Could provide a shot in the arm. Key phrase there. I see route 50 has its natural backup heading in….but not route 90. Even the bay bridge is smooth sailing.
Peeps on the beach…the sandbars are roaring….coastal highway not clogged.
Rickie too bad you arent doin tallies of visitors by demoflushing anymore. I loved flushing extra to pad those stats.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
Why not just kick able-bodied persons off the Welfare and Disability Rolls and PUT them to WORK?
But wait….we were told by the DNRs that the population is low….the male population is real low……more workers less crabs. Hello?
Giant middle finger!