❗Let's close the gap: We still need your help to raise $40,000 by April 1. Donate now

H-2B visas need fixing, employers and immigration attorneys say

Andy Uhler Jan 18, 2019
HTML EMBED:
COPY

H-2B visas need fixing, employers and immigration attorneys say

Andy Uhler Jan 18, 2019
HTML EMBED:
COPY

You’ve probably heard of H-1B visas. Those are the ones lots of tech firms use to bring in highly skilled workers from countries like India. Lesser-known but still vital to the economy are visas like the H-2A. Those are temporary, seasonal visas handed out to the people who help grow and harvest our food. Then there are H-2Bs, also temporary and seasonal, but not farm-related. They’re for the workers who staff tourist hotels, ski resorts or who do landscaping and other jobs. Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta tells the Wall Street Journal that H-2B visas are broken and need fixing. He said for one thing, there’s too much of a rush to apply at the beginning of the year. Selection might need to be random, rather than first-come, first-served. And, he said, some states with a lot of seasonal employment may need higher caps. Many employers and immigration attorneys would also like to see H-2B changes.

Click the audio player above to hear the full story.

There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. 

Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.