On Dec. 12, the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Labor announced the issuance of a temporary final rule that will allow eligible employers to apply for 64,716 visas for the H-2B Temporary Non-Agricultural Worker program for fiscal year 2023 (Oct. 1, 2022-Sept. 30, 2023).
Previously announced in October, these additional H-2B visas will supplement the 66,000 visas authorized annually by law. The supplemental visa allocation of about 44,700 visas is available to returning workers who received an H-2B visa or were otherwise granted H-2B status during one of the last three fiscal years. The remaining 20,000 visas are reserved for nationals from El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti and Honduras, regardless of whether they are returning workers.
NRCA had urged the federal agencies to issue these additional visas and is pleased with the administration’s action to release them earlier than in previous years, which will help employers meet their peak workforce needs. NRCA will continue to urge Congress to increase the number of H-2B visas on an annual or permanent basis to help roofing contractors meet their seasonal workforce needs.
View the press release announcing the action. The temporary final rule is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register Dec. 15; view an unpublished version.
