The Trump administration will add 65,000 H-2B seasonal guest worker visas for employers facing severe financial hardship due to a lack of US labor.
WASHINGTON: The Trump administration will add approximately 65,000 H-2B seasonal guest worker visas through September 30, 2026.
A Federal Register notice said the visas would be available to employers at risk of severe financial hardship due to a lack of US labor.
This move roughly doubles the 66,000 visas available each year to businesses in sectors like construction, hospitality, landscaping and seafood processing.
READ MORE: US revokes over 100,000 visas in record year under Trump
It recognises that US employers in those industries could be struggling to find workers.
President Donald Trump launched a wide-ranging immigration crackdown after returning to the White House in 2025.
His administration has portrayed immigrants without legal status as criminals and a drain on their communities.
It has also clamped down on forms of legal immigration with broad travel bans and reviews of refugee and asylum cases.
The number of available visas was also expanded under former President Joe Biden and during Trump’s 2017-2021 presidency.
Employers in seasonal businesses, including hotels, have clamored for more visas.
Some construction businesses have complained of a lack of workers during Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown.
Groups that favor lower levels of immigration oppose the visas, saying they undercut wages for US workers.
Trump has made it harder for tech businesses to obtain workers through the H-1B program.
This includes tacking on a USD 100,000 fee that has triggered a legal challenge.
A temporary rule making the additional H-2B visas available will be formally published in the Federal Register on Tuesday. – Reuters