Washington, D.C.—Following a push spearheaded by U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) and Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Labor (DOL) issued a joint rule today making available an additional 22,000 H-2B visas that will help small businesses fill seasonal job openings.  Qualifying employers can begin applying on May 25.  These visas will supplement the previous supply of 33,000 H-2B visas for the second half of the current fiscal year, all of which have been claimed. 

In March, Senators Collins and King and Representative Pingree sent a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas urging him to increase the number of H-2B visas.  Senator Collins also led a letter in April signed by 10 Senators, including Senator King, calling on DHS and DOL to expedite their rulemaking process to make the additional 22,000 visas available for the summer season.  Also last month, Senator King urged President Biden to rescind a Trump ban on seasonal and cultural exchange visas.  In addition, in February, Senator Collins secured a commitment from U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Marty Walsh to work to ensure that there are sufficient visas to meet the needs of seasonal businesses.

“The release of these additional visas is welcome news for Maine’s hospitality industry, which desperately needs additional workers to supplement its Maine workforce for the busy summer season that is about to begin,” said Senators Collins and King and Representative Pingree in a joint statement.  “After experiencing significant disruptions last year due to the pandemic, Maine’s hospitality industry is now facing an estimated shortage of 16,000 workers that is forcing many employers to cut back parts of their operations and curtail hours when they should be focused on recovering.  We strongly pushed to expedite the release of these visas, which will provide support to these seasonal businesses at a critical time and protect the jobs of Mainers who fill year-round positions at these businesses.”

“HospitalityMaine is extremely grateful to the Maine delegation for, once again, advocating on our behalf to help get the H-2B visa worker cap increased in 2021,” said Greg Dugal, Director of Government Affairs for HospitalityMaine.  “We are in high hopes that the process now moves forward quickly as a busy summer is shaping up for the hospitality industry in the State of Maine.”

H-2B workers support American jobs and small businesses.  Bipartisan research has found a direct correlation between increased numbers of H-2B workers and a rise in pay across the board for all employees.  As required by law, employers must first make a concerted effort to hire American workers to fill open positions.  H-2B visas fill needs for American small businesses when there are not enough able and willing American workers to fill the temporary, seasonal positions.

Starting May 25, eligible employers who have already completed a test of the U.S. labor market to verify that there are no U.S. workers who are willing, qualified, and able to perform the seasonal nonagricultural work can file?Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, to seek additional H-2B workers.  They must submit an attestation with their petition to demonstrate their business is likely to suffer irreparable harm without a supplemental workforce.