The extra temporary, seasonal work visas represent a 45% bump in the number normally issued for the second half of the fiscal year. In order to qualify for the additional visas, clubs must attest that they are likely to suffer irreparable harm without employing H-2B workers, and must undergo additional mandatory recruitment steps to identify any U.S. workers.
The Trump administration will offer an extra 15,000 temporary, seasonal work visas this budget year, representing a 45% bump in the number of H-2B visas normally issued for the second half of the fiscal year, the Associated Press reported.
The extra H-2B visas are for seasonal, non-agriculture workers for jobs at a variety of businesses, including resorts. The Trump Organization is among the businesses that use the visas, the AP reported.
Earlier this year Congress voted to allow Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly to offer more than the annual limit of 66,000 such visas. Though President Donald Trump has taken a hard line stance on immigration, legal and otherwise, Kelly said the decision to add visas was a “demonstration of the administration’s commitment to supporting American businesses.”
He described the additional visas as a “one-time extension” of the visa cap set by Congress. A notice about the extra H-2B visas will be posted later this week in the Federal Register, the AP reported.
A report by the National Club Association noted that in order to qualify for the additional visas, clubs must attest that they are likely to suffer irreparable harm if it cannot employ H-2B workers during this fiscal year. Clubs must also undergo additional mandatory recruitment steps in an attempt to identify any U.S. workers.
Starting this week, clubs may file Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker and must submit a supplemental attestation on Form ETA 9142-B-CAA with their petition. Additional details on eligibility and filing requirements are available here.
According to a report in the Denver Post, the ski resort industry applauded the increase, but the bump in temporary employees likely will be gone by the time ski season arrives.
“This is an ongoing battle. We won this battle, but the ongoing war continues,” said Dave Byrd, the director of regulatory affairs for the National Ski Areas Association. “We are going to continue to hit up Congress for more access to foreign workers because Americans want year-round jobs that come with benefits and we have a lot of seasonal business and need more access to labor.”
The H-2B visa program is a political hot button that both Democrats and Republicans have blasted, arguing the program takes jobs away from Americans. Opponents argue that an increase in H-2B visas could make employers less inclined to increase pay to lure unemployed Americans into lower-skilled jobs, the Post reported.
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