On June 22, President Trump issued a proclamation extending current restrictions regarding most immigrant visas in place since April and expanded those entry restrictions to certain nonimmigrant visa categories, including the H-2B seasonal guest worker program used by some NRCA members to meet seasonal workforce needs. The proclamation suspends the entry of individuals enrolled in the H-2B and other visa programs through 2020, effective June 24. Individuals that had a valid H-2B visa before June 24 and entered the U.S. on or before that date will be able to participate in the H-2B program this year.
The proclamation will be reviewed periodically where the Department of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Departments of Labor and State, can recommend modifications to the proclamation’s restrictions in the future. The administration portrayed the effort to ensure currently unemployed individuals have the opportunity to obtain seasonal jobs in an economy reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many business groups opposed the proclamation, including the H-2B Workforce Coalition—of which NRCA is a member—which issued a statement noting despite high unemployment levels, the need for H-2B visas still is strong “due to factors such as the seasonality of the work, the nature of the work, and the location of the job.” Click here to view a copy of the order.
