Just in time for Maine's busy summer season, feds issue 35,000 more worker visas
Courtesy / York Region Chamber
In York County, seasonal hires from other countries are a critical part of the workforce for summer hospitality and tourism businesses.
The federal government will soon issue 35,000 more temporary visas nationwide for seasonal workers — long a linchpin for Maine’s summer hospitality and tourism industries.
The H-2B visas are available to U.S. employers seeking to employ additional foreign workers between April 1 and Sept. 30, according to a news release Wednesday.
The allocation includes 23,500 visas for returning workers, who received an H-2B visa or were otherwise granted H-2B status in the past three years. The remaining 11,500 visas are reserved for nationals of Haiti, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.
U.S. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Angus King, I-Maine, jointly said, “The release of these additional visas come at an important time, with Maine’s hospitality businesses preparing for the start of the busy summer season.
“Although these additional visas will help provide relief to many Maine small businesses, there is still an overwhelming need given the current tight labor market and record low unemployment. We must improve the H-2B program to ensure Maine small businesses do not continue to suffer from a lack of workers.”
Greg Dugal, director of government affairs for trade group HospitalityMaine, said, “HospitalityMaine is grateful for the efforts of the Maine delegation in helping to secure an additional 35,000 H-2B visa workers for the second half of this fiscal year, which includes our busy summer tourism season.
“The severe worker shortage that we have been experiencing in the hospitality industry will be somewhat mitigated by this timely and much-needed announcement from the Departments of Labor and Homeland Security.”
H-2B visas help small businesses fill temporary, seasonal positions when there are not enough able and willing American workers for them. Under law, employers must first make a concerted effort to hire U.S. citizens for the openings.
Bipartisan research has found a direct correlation between increased numbers of H-2B workers and higher pay for all employees, according to the release from Collins and King.
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments