A recent announcement from AmericanHort Director of Advocacy and Policy Communications Tristan Daedalus urged members of the horticulture industry to voice their concerns and save the H-2B bill.
“As you may remember, the 2020 Homeland Security appropriations bill in the House included language that made the Secretary of Homeland Security’s release of additional H-2B visas automatic, but with Congress gridlocked on spending bills, we need you to make the case to your elected officials that this change is necessary,” his email reads.
He shares how, in late November, the U.S. Customs and Immigration Service (USCIS) posted the following alert on their website:
On Nov. 15, USCIS received a sufficient number of petitions to reach the congressionally mandated H-2B cap of 33,000 H-2B visas for the first half of FY 2020…
“If you need H-2B workers before April 1, the H-2B program is no longer an option. With a cap of just 66,000 visas, this isn’t a surprise. But Congress empowered the Secretary of Homeland Security to release a limited number of additional visas when it’s determined to be necessary for the economy,” Daedalus continues.
He ended the email on a strong note, and wrote, “We’re working to make that action automatic, and Congress is listening!”
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