President Joe Biden’s administration on Tuesday announced an increase in the number of agency workers who will be able to work in the United States this year as the economy recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the United States will approve 22,000 H2-B visas for seasonal work, in addition to the annual limit of 66,000 set by Congress. He cited the increased demand from employers, as the number of people claiming unemployment benefits is at its lowest point since the COVID-19 outbreak.
The H2-B visa program has bipartisan support in Congress and from businesses across the country. It is used to fill jobs in areas such as landscaping, construction, hotels and restaurants as well as meat and seafood processing factories and amusement parks.
Last year, President Donald Trump authorized an additional 35,000 H-2B visas over the annual limit, but three months later he halted the program along with other foreign workers’ programs under a far-reaching executive order. Biden canceled the order.
Employers must confirm that they could suffer “irreparable harm” if they do not receive foreign workers under the program.
Announcing this year’s additional annual increase, DHS said it would reserve 6,000 visas for people from Central America’s Northern Triangle countries: Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. Central Americans, battling the pandemic, the aftermath of two hurricanes and protracted problems, make up a significant portion of the growing number of migrants trying to enter the United States along the border with Mexico.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the visa increase reflects the Biden administration’s goal of “expanding legal opportunities in the United States” for the populations of the Northern Triangle countries.