Good news for Maine's seasonal businesses: US may issue more guest worker visas
File photo / Laurie Schreiber
Many businesses in Bar Harbor and other tourist towns depend on guest workers from outside the U.S.
The federal government is expected to issue an additional 64,716 guest worker visas this fiscal year, on top of the 66,000 that are available annually, according to elected officials.
For Maine’s hospitality and tourism businesses, the H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visa program provides a source of labor that's critical during their high seasons.
“The release of over 64,000 additional H-2B visas is a welcome relief for small businesses throughout Maine that continue to face a shortage of employees,” U.S. Sens. Angus King, I-Maine, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, said in a joint statement.
“These visas are a lifeline for our state’s economy, helping businesses meet the increasing demand for their products and services, especially as we enter the winter tourism season.”
The Fiscal Year 2025 H-2B supplemental allocation is expected to include 20,000 visas for workers from Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti and Honduras. In addition, 44,716 supplemental visas may be available to returning workers who received an H-2B visa or granted H-2B status during one of the last three fiscal years.
Under federal law, employers looking to hire a guest worker with the visa must first make a concerted effort to hire an American citizen to fill the opening. H-2B visas are intended to fill needs for small businesses when there are not enough able and willing American workers for the temporary, seasonal positions.
“H-2B visas are essential for seasonal businesses that depend on temporary workers, including many here in Maine — hotels, ski resorts, seafood processors, restaurants and other industries across the country,” said U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine 1st District. “Common sense immigration policies like the H-2B visa program help address the workforce shortages that small businesses in Maine continue to face.”
Last month, King and Collins signed a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Department of Labor Acting Secretary Julie Su, requesting that the departments release the maximum allowable number of additional H-2B visas for the 2025 fiscal year. The bipartisan letter garnered the support of 40 senators.
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