WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security took a major step toward addressing persistent labor shortages in non-agricultural sectors such as hospitality by announcing last week that it will nearly double the number of H-2B temporary worker visas in 2024, providing an additional 64,716 H-2B temporary worker visas for the fiscal year beginning October 1, on top of the 66,000 H-2B visas already available for each fiscal year.
H-2B visas are primarily used by the seafood, landscaping, and hospitality industries. The H-2B program allows U.S. employers, including hotels and other travel industry suppliers, to temporarily hire noncitizens to perform nonagricultural work or services. The employment must be temporary in nature, such as a one-time event, seasonal need, or intermittent need. Employers must first prove that there are not enough U.S. workers for the jobs and that hiring H-2B workers will not negatively impact the wages and working conditions of U.S. workers. The maximum length of stay in the United States is three years.
The U.S. Travel Association has been pushing for the increase for months in response to the critical labor shortage in the industry, which it says exceeds 1 million unfilled jobs. “While this is a step toward easing labor pressures, there are 10 million job openings in the U.S., highlighting that there are not enough American job seekers to meet demand,” said Tori Emerson Barnes, executive vice president of public affairs and policy for the U.S. Travel Association. “There is a clear need to permanently expand the H-2B program, particularly to support small, seasonal businesses that rely on temporary workers.”
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American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) President and CEO Chip Rogers said the availability of additional visas is just the first step in the legislation needed to permanently address the industry’s labor shortage.
“The H-2B Workforce Coalition, co-chaired by AHLA, worked hard to convince the Biden administration to provide this significant extension,” he said. “These additional visas will be critical to helping hotels and resorts in remote vacation destinations fill seasonal positions, and we thank Secretary of Homeland Security Mayorkas for making them available. But we still need Congress’s help to provide hoteliers across the country with all the employees they need. This includes establishing an exemption for returning workers, passing the Asylum Seekers Work Authorization Act, and passing the H-2 Employer Relief Improvements (HIRE) Act.”
Contact Tori Emerson Barnes at (202) 408-8422; Chip Rogers at (202) 289-3100