The H-2B visa program for low-skilled foreign employees will ensure that businesses in the United States can anticipate and plan for seasonal employment increases in the fiscal year 2023.
The US Departments of Homeland Security and Labor will issue the first temporary final rule of its kind, increasing the number of eligible H-2B visas for FY2023 from 65,000 to 64,716.
In the fiscal year 2023, the H-2B visa program for low-skilled foreign workers will guarantee that businesses in the United States can anticipate and plan for seasonal hiring spikes.
According to a USCIS statement, these additional H-2B visas are meant for American businesses that want to petition for more workers between October 1 and September 15 of the next fiscal year. Approximately 44,700 more H-2B visas were made available for employees who had previously been granted H-2B status or an H-2B visa in any of the previous three fiscal years. The remaining 20,000 visas must be issued to nationals of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Haiti, even if they are not returning employees.
H-2B visas enable firms to hire foreign nationals for temporary work in nonagricultural industries, whether for a one-time event, a seasonal need, peak load demand, or intermittent needs.
To help American businesses plan for peak season labor needs, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas stated that the Department will make additional H-2B visas available sooner than before.”
“At a time of record job growth, these visas will also enable a secure and lawful transit to the United States for noncitizens ready to assume roles that are not filled by American employees,” Mayorkas stated. Because few Indians apply for H-2B visas, the agency’s move is unlikely to have a significant impact.
In general, Indian nationals who want to work in the US do not apply for H-2B visas since the great majority of Indian immigrants are highly educated professionals who work for American corporations in specialist fields that require advanced degrees or specialized training. Such foreign nationals must have a valid H-1B visa.
During the first six months of the fiscal year 2023, there will be a total of 18,216 visas available for return employees of any country. Between 1 April and 14 May of the fiscal year 2023, a total of 16,500 visas will be given, with an additional 10,000 visas distributed between 15 May and 30 September. According to the statement, this is the first time the United States has issued a single regulation to make H-2B extra visas available for many allocations during the fiscal year, including one for the late second half. The interim final regulation includes several protections for US and H-2B employees.