U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton and 79 other members of Congress are asking two federal departments to increase the number of visas they issue to seasonal workers to come to the United States.
In a letter to Kirstjen Nielsen, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and R. Alexander Acosta, secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor, members of Congress from both sides of the political aisle said the H-2B visas that have been authorized this year fall short of what is needed.
The H-2B visas are reserved for temporary non-agricultural workers, primarily people who work in the service and construction industries. The visa program is separate from the H-2A program, which applies to agricultural workers.
The program is capped at 66,000 H-2B seasonal workers, but routinely is increased because of need. In May, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services added 15,000 more.
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