Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) recently joined congressional colleagues and small businesses in seeking permanent H-2B visa reform.
The H-2B visa nonimmigrant program permits employers to hire foreign workers to come temporarily to the United States and perform nonagricultural services or labor on a one-time, seasonal,
Last month, Zeldin and local businesses called on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to raise the H-2B Visa Program cap to ensure businesses have the adequate workforce they need ahead of the upcoming peak season. To that end, Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen decided to allocate an additional 30,000 H-2B visas for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2019, with Zeldin praising the action.
“I applaud the Secretary of Homeland Security for lifting the cap on H-2B visas for the remainder of this year to help ensure Long Island employers get the seasonal workers they need,” Zeldin said. “However, the fight isn’t over. Suffolk County businesses have experienced uncertainty year after year and they need stability and consistency for the seasons ahead. I look forward to continuing to advocate on behalf of these hardworking Long Islanders so they can continue to grow their businesses in our community and strengthen our local economy.”
Zeldin and local businesses have vowed to continue calling for a more permanent, long term solution to improve the H-2B Visa Program in order to provide small businesses with the certainty and stability needed in the future.