by
Government Affairs Team
| Feb 27, 2018
The United States Department of Labor (DOL) began issuing labor certifications for H-2B petitions on Feb. 20. As of Feb. 22, DOL certified H-2B petitions for 42,802 workers and these petitions have all presumably been submitted by employers to the Department of Homeland Security for the next step in H-2B processing.
Based on DOL statistics, it is clear that about 66 percent of requested H-2B visas will go unfilled unless Congress passes H-2B cap relief. It is essential that Congress hear again from all employers who use the H-2B program. Failure to pass immediate cap relief will significantly harm American small and seasonal businesses and their American employees.
GCSAA belongs to the H-2B Workforce Coalition and together we continue to work to ensure Congress will include H-2B cap relief in the fiscal 2018 spending bill that lawmakers are currently negotiating. The current spending bill that funds the Federal Government runs out on March 23. Your continued help is needed to make sure that Congress acts and will #saveH2B.
What can I do?
- Please call your representative and senators at their Washington, D.C., offices and stress the need for immediate cap relief. You can reach your elected officials through the Capitol switchboard at 202-225-3121. Once connected to the office, ask to speak to the staff person who handles H-2B issues.
- Tell them that they must include H-2B cap relief in the omnibus appropriations bill that will be negotiated between now and March 23. Stress that 66% of businesses' seasonal labor needs will go unfulfilled this spring without immediate action. Explain the specific impacts on your business and your American workforce if you cannot hire H-2B workers.
- Urge your senators and representative to speaker to their party leaders about the need for immediate H-2B cap relief.
- If they have not already done so, encourage your senators to cosponsor the Save Our Small and Seasonal Businesses Act. S. 792, the Save our Small and Seasonal Businesses Act of 2017, and encourage your representative to cosponsor H.R. 2004, the Strengthen Employment and Seasonal Opportunities Now (SEASON) Act and HR 4207, the Small and Seasonal Business Act.
- Please call or visit in person with your senators and representatives at their district offices. You can find the local contact information for your senators and representative on their websites or through www.house.gov and www.senate.gov.
- Tweet at your representative and senators about the need for immediate cap relief using #SaveH2B. You can find their twitter address at: https://twitter.com/verified/lists/us-congress/members.
- Encourage your coworkers, suppliers and customers to also reach out to their elected officials.
- Also call and email the USCIS ombudsman's office and encourage the Department of Homeland Security to support H-2B cap relief.The email address is cisombudsman@hq.dhs.gov and the phone number is: 1-855-882-8100.
Contact the GCSAA government affairs department at 800-472-7878 to talk further about your specific H-2B visa situation or to learn more about the H-2B visa program in general.