The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor announced 20,000 additional H-2B nonagriculture worker visas for the first half of fiscal year 2022. It was made available to employers as of Friday, January 28th and it marks the first release of supplemental visas in the ifrst half of a fiscal year.
H-2B visas permit American employers to temporarily hire rigorously screened nonimmigrants to perform nonagriculture labor if American workers are not available. These visas are deemed critical to the survival of Alaska’s seafood industry, which includes multiple cross-generation, family-owned operations.
Following this announcement, Alaska Congressman Don Young released a statement:
“This is certainly a good news for the State of Alaska and our fisheries, but there is still much work ahead. It is vital that labor shortages do not further threaten our state’s ongoing economic recovery. Filling seafood jobs with Alaskans continues to be my goal, but a lack of workers would have catastrophic impacts for fishermen, processors, and the fishing communities that rely on this sector being strong. DHS’s announcement of additional visas is a tremendous step in the right direction. To make this visa expansion truly beneficial to our fisheries, we must keep up the momentum. I continue working with the Administration and Senators Murkowski and Sullivan to find a long-term solution to these ongoing challenges. I want to sincerely thank Secretary Mayorkas for staying in direct contact with me and taking action on this critical issue. As always, I will continue working with anyone – regardless of party – on policies that put Alaska first.”
Senator Murkowski said:
“The H-2B visa program has long played an important role for seasonal fishing and tourism businesses across Alaska. Our summer season is right around the corner, so it is particularly important that these industries have certainty to be able to plan and have a workforce in place. We are hoping for a tourism season on the rebound from COVID and the forecast for the Bristol Bay fisheries could break records. We need additional workers to supplement our local workforce. I have made the release of additional visas a priority, urging the administration to recognize the unique situation we have in Alaska with seasonal industries, often in remote areas with limited workforce, and to address the gap in a timely manner. I want to thank Secretary Mayorkas, Secretary Walsh, and their teams for working with me to make this success possible.”
The federal H-2B program allows businesses to hire workers from foreign countries for temporary positions that they have not been able to fill with local workers. This program allows for foreign workers to work in the United States for a season and return to their home countries.
