The U.S. Departments of Homeland Security and Labor have announced they will release an additional 35,000 H-2B visas to help golf and other seasonal industries address their labor needs this spring.

This is a welcome announcement: Many golf properties have been shut out of the program due to high demand in a tight labor market. GCSAA has argued consistently with federal decision makers that the low 33,000 cap on visas for each half of the year does little to help. GCSAA recently reported progress in January when DHS announced that 20,000 additional visas were available for workers with a start of employment on or before March 31. Now 35,000 additional visas will be available for employment starting April 1 or later: 23,500 additional visas will be 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 11,500 visas, which are exempt from the returning worker requirement, are reserved for nationals of Haiti, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador.

GCSAA expect DHS and DOL to publish a temporary final rule, making these additional visas available.

GCSAA will continue to fight to make sure golf has the labor it needs this spring.>