As expected, the Departments of Homeland Security and Labor have announced the availability of 35,000 additional visas for workers needed between April 1 and Sept. 30, 2022. These additional visas were the product of extensive lobbying by GCSAA and other industries who use H-2B workers for temporary, seasonal work.

As previously noted, 23,500 visas will be available for returning workers or otherwise granted H-2B status during one of the last three fiscal years. The remaining 11,500 visas are reserved for nationals of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Haiti, regardless of whether they are returning workers. Employers can submit petitions now.

DHS and DOL added a number of requirements to the released rule, including a requirement to contact the AFL-CIO – as part of the petition process – if the position is “traditionally or customarily unionized”. Landscapers and groundskeepers, pesticide handlers and tree trimmers are all positions that are identified as traditionally or customarily unionized positions. 

GCSAA will continue to fight for more visas.