Friday, January 28, 2022

DHS Announces Availability of Additional H-2B Visas for First Half of Fiscal Year

"The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Labor (DOL) today announced the availability of 20,000 additional H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas for the first half of fiscal year (FY) 2022. These visas are for U.S. employers that are facing irreparable harm without additional workers and seeking to employ additional workers on or before March 31, 2022. 

“DHS is taking action to address the needs of our economy by making an additional 20,000 H-2B visas available to workers,” said Secretary Mayorkas. “We are providing employers with the resources and support needed to sustain their businesses while expanding lawful pathways to the United States. At the same time, DHS and DOL are protecting against the exploitation of H-2B workers.”  

This supplemental cap increase, which comes at a time of record job growth and reduced labor force participation, marks the first time that DHS is making additional H-2B visas available in the first half of the fiscal year. DHS first announced the joint temporary final rule in December 2021. The additional H-2B visas will become available to employers on January 28, 2022. 

The supplemental H-2B visa allocation consists of 13,500 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 6,500 visas, which are exempt from the returning worker requirement, are reserved for nationals of Haiti, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras..."
H-2B Visas 

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