EASTERN SHORE, Md. - Many seafood processing businesses on Maryland's Eastern Shore are left in limbo after not receiving any H-2B visas for the season. Foreign workers are reacting to the news as many are now left jobless and state leaders are hoping to fix the work visa lottery system.
While one crab picking business in Hooper's Island is feeling like they hit the jackpot others are not feeling so lucky.
"I guess I feel lucky but I also feel bad," said Bryan Hall with G.W. Hall & Sons.
"We have had 6 years that we were late getting our visas. In 2018 we never got them at all," said Harry Phillips with Russell Hall Seafood.
Every year seafood processing businesses solicit H-2B visas where foreign workers like Clara Sonia Lopez are legally able to come to the U.S. to work temporarily.
Lopez, currently in Mexico, is concerned she won't get a visa this year.
She says they just want to come to the Eastern Shore to work and make enough money to provide for their families who are in need and depend on them.
The lottery system for the visas has left businesses without enough workers and some end up having to close for the season.
Maryland Congressman Andy Harris says this needs to change.
"The temporary worker visa program gets hung up on an immigration discussion and it really shouldn't be. These are not immigrants, these are temporary foreign workers who come here and then go back home.
They rarely come with families, they are not a burden on our system they in fact contribute to the economy and again pay taxes and then go back home," explained Rep. Harris.
Governor Larry Hogan has also advocated for a change, and called on the federal government to allow for more visas.
In December the Biden administration approved 20,000 additional visas.
But businesses say it's not enough.
The lack of visas affecting more than just the crab houses.
"For instance, our volunteer fire companies who want to set up an amusement park at a fair for a few months a lot of those workers are also temporary foreign workers," added Rep. Harris.
Advocating for a more permanent solution for people like Lopez - who have been traveling to the Eastern Shore every year.
"The one that we're going to try to reach for this year is what's called a returning worker exemption and that is that if a worker has been here in the past and they've been approved by the us government to come in temporarily, they don't count towards that very low quota number, 66 thousand workers for the entire United States," said Rep. Harris.
Workers tell WRDE they are remaining hopeful they'll see a change and permanent solution.
Rep. Harris says he expects to see more visas released this week or next week, which is better late than none at all for businesses and workers.