Demand cap relief be instituted now Email
News
Monday, March 26, 2018 02:00 AM

The latest from the H-2B Workforce Coalition:

Your Continued Help is Needed to #SaveH2B
As you are aware, last Friday President Trump signed into law a $1.3 trillion spending bill to fund the government for the remainder of fiscal year 2018, which runs through September 30. The legislation is similar to last year in that it gives the Department of Homeland Security the discretion to raise the current 66,000 H-2B cap by an additional 69,320 visas. There is no returning worker exemption.

The bill also continues provisions from fiscal 2017 that limit the ability of the Administration to enforce the corresponding employment and 3/4 guarantee provisions of the 2015 regulations, allow for the use of private wage surveys, provide for a 10 month season and allow for staggered crossing for seafood workers.

As a coalition, our focus now turns to encouraging DHS to promptly issue all of the additional visas allowed under the new law so that we can save the spring and summer for employers who were shut out of the program due to the cap. We understand that time is of the essence.  

What Can You Do To Help?

  • Contact your Representative and Senators that showed support for cap relief and say thank you. Ask them to encourage Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen and Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta to immediately release all of the additional visas authorized by the law. You can reach your Senators and Representative via the Capitol switchboard at 202-225-3121 or via email.
  • Please also call and email the USCIS Ombudsman's Office and encourage the Department of Homeland Security to immediately release the authorized visas. As of March 16, DOL has already has already issued final labor certifications for 76,818 workers, which clearly shows that “the needs of American businesses cannot be satisfied in fiscal 2018 with United States workers who are willing, qualified, and able to perform temporary nonagricultural labor.” The email address is [email protected] and the phone number is 1-855-882-8100. 
  • Tweet @DHSgov@SecNielsen@USDOL@Secretary Acosta and stress the need for immediate H-2B cap relief.