WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.), along with U.S. Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.), announced Thursday that the Department of Homeland Security will release an additional 35,000 H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas for the second half of fiscal year 2022.
The supplemental H-2B visa allocation consists of 23,500 visas 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 remaining 11,500 visas, which are exempt from the returning worker requirement, are reserved for nationals of Haiti, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador.
“The small businesses that make up Maryland’s crab and seafood industries are vital to our local Shore economy and our communities. Having a reliable workforce is crucial to their success, and the H-2B visa program is essential to building and maintaining that workforce. That is why we’ve fought to deliver additional visas for our Maryland businesses – including by securing language in this year’s funding bill to ensure DHS had the authority to take action. We’re glad to see them heed our calls to provide these additional visas, and we urge them to get the visas out as quickly as possible to the businesses that need them. Together, we will continue working towards a long-term legislative solution to both uphold worker rights and bring more certainty to this program that Maryland’s seafood small businesses rely on,” the Senators said in a statement.
Harris also issued a statement, saying, "This is welcome news for the countless seasonal businesses in Maryland’s First Congressional District and across the nation that rely on the H-2B visa program to meet their labor needs. While these supplemental visas will provide much-needed relief, it is unlikely to meet the employers’ full labor demands this year. Congress must continue to work to provide permanent solutions that fully address the chronic H-2B visa shortages. Understanding that the summer work season begins on April 1, I urge the departments to get these visas to employers in need as soon as possible.”