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Action Center
Background:
Despite the ongoing COVID pandemic and high unemployment, green industry employers have continued to be plagued by labor shortages. The H-2B temporary visa has been a critical program to provide employees for landscaping companies where the Department of Labor (DOL) certifies there is a documented need. Companies using H-2B are required to advertise and hire any American before getting a visa.
Despite these safeguards, Congress created decades ago an arbitrary cap of 66,000 H-2B visas for the entire country and all industries participating. The result of this static cap has been handicapping the industry while we are in dire need. In 2020, many Texas companies with a documented need were "capped out" of the program which causes business interruption, loss of revenue, and loss of American jobs.
Congress must act to provide H-2B cap relief for 2021 to avoid repeating the economic damage of this last year. The H-2B Workforce Coalition, with your help, was successful in getting an amendment into the House appropriations bill. However, the budget has yet to pass and it is likely that a real budget will be delayed until after the November election. Now is a great time to remind Texas congressional officials that the H-2B program is still needed and they should prioritize fully economic recovery by providing cap relief.
Action Item:
Use the email here on the page to send a message to your elected officials in Congress, affirming the importance of the H-2B program and urging Congress to support cap relief for the 2021 season.
Despite the ongoing COVID pandemic and high unemployment, green industry employers have continued to be plagued by labor shortages. The H-2B temporary visa has been a critical program to provide employees for landscaping companies where the Department of Labor (DOL) certifies there is a documented need. Companies using H-2B are required to advertise and hire any American before getting a visa.
Despite these safeguards, Congress created decades ago an arbitrary cap of 66,000 H-2B visas for the entire country and all industries participating. The result of this static cap has been handicapping the industry while we are in dire need. In 2020, many Texas companies with a documented need were "capped out" of the program which causes business interruption, loss of revenue, and loss of American jobs.
Congress must act to provide H-2B cap relief for 2021 to avoid repeating the economic damage of this last year. The H-2B Workforce Coalition, with your help, was successful in getting an amendment into the House appropriations bill. However, the budget has yet to pass and it is likely that a real budget will be delayed until after the November election. Now is a great time to remind Texas congressional officials that the H-2B program is still needed and they should prioritize fully economic recovery by providing cap relief.
Action Item:
Use the email here on the page to send a message to your elected officials in Congress, affirming the importance of the H-2B program and urging Congress to support cap relief for the 2021 season.