H-2B visas help employers fill temporary, seasonal positions in Vermont

BURLINGTON, VT – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) joined Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and a bipartisan group of colleagues in asking the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to release the maximum allowable number of additional H-2B visas for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025. 

H-2B visas help American small businesses when there are not enough American workers to fill the temporary, seasonal positions. As required by law, employers must first make a concerted effort to hire American workers to fill open positions; when the local workforce is insufficient, H-2Bs are seen as a necessary tool to support local economies. With Vermont continuing to see a shortage of seasonal and temporary employees, these special visas provide a lifeline for the economy and ensure small businesses can meet the demand for their products and services.  

“Many employers turn to the H-2B program to meet their workforce needs to not only sustain their businesses, but also support their American workers. The H-2B program places requirements on employers to recruit U.S. workers, who are intentionally prioritized by the program and also receive demonstrated, positive impacts from their seasonal colleagues. In fact, a 2020 Government Accountability Office report concluded that ‘counties with H-2B employers generally had lower unemployment rates and higher average weekly wages than counties that do not have any H-2B employers,’” wrote the senators. 

“The most current employment data illustrates the workforce struggles of seasonal businesses nationwide. The Department of Labor’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Surveys (JOLTS) show the rate of job openings have increased year over year for the industries that represent the top five H-2B occupations. As you know, the FY 2025 H-2B first half fiscal year cap was met on September 18, 2024—roughly three weeks earlier than the cap was met in FY 2024. The result is that seasonal employers whose peak seasons are in late fall and winter are capped out before their period of seasonal need begins. Absent cap relief, these employers will be unable to receive temporary, U.S. government-vetted guest workers,” continued the senators. 

The letter was also signed by John Barrasso (R-WY), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tom Carper (D-DE), Susan Collins (R-ME), Chris Coons (D-DE), John Cornyn (R-TX), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), John Fetterman (D-PA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), George Helmy (D-NJ), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Joe Manchin (I-W. Va.), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Jim Risch (R-ID), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), John Thune (R-SD), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) and Tim Scott (R-SC). 

The full text of the letter is available here. 

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