Manchin Applauds Maximum Supplementation Of H-2b Visa Program For Fiscal Year 2025
Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (I-WV) applauded the announcement from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in consultation with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), that the H-2B visa cap will be supplemented with nearly 65,000 additional nonagricultural worker visas for Fiscal Year 2025. Senator Manchin urged the agencies to release these visas, which represent the maximum permitted under the authority, this past October.
“This announcement by DHS and DOL is welcomed news as we continue to grapple with a labor shortage, especially as we approach the holiday season and see increased consumer demand in a variety of industries. Small businesses in West Virginia and across the United States rely on the H-2B visa program to maintain the necessary workforce to meet market demand, and releasing the maximum allowed amount will ensure they can continue operating at full capacity. The H-2B visa program is essential for West Virginia businesses who cannot find adequate labor. I urge my bipartisan colleagues in Congress, along with the incoming presidential Administration, to promote the best interests of American workers and businesses by preserving and strengthening this important program,” said Senator Manchin.
The H-2B program allows employers to temporarily hire foreign workers to fill vacant nonagricultural jobs that would otherwise go unfilled. The program is particularly important for American businesses in the hospitality, tourism, and landscaping sectors. Employers must obtain certification that there are not enough U.S. workers who are able, willing, qualified, and available to perform required work and that the H-2B workers will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of similarly employed U.S. workers.
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