- U.S. employers face severe labor shortages in seasonal industries.
- Additional visas aim to avoid financial difficulties for businesses.
- The tech sector was hit with $100,000 H-1B fees amid tougher rules.
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump’s administration will add some 65,000 H-2B seasonal guest worker visas through September 30, a Federal Register notice says, clarifying that the visas would be available to employers at risk of serious financial hardship due to the shortage of American workers.
The measure roughly doubles the 66,000 visas available each year for businesses such as construction, hospitality, landscaping and seafood processing, recognizing that U.S. employers in those sectors may struggle to find workers.
Trump, a Republican, launched a sweeping immigration crackdown after returning to the White House in 2025, portraying immigrants without legal status as criminals and a loss to their communities. His administration has also cracked down on forms of legal immigration, with broad travel bans and reviews of refugee and asylum cases.
The number of visas available was also increased under former President Joe Biden, a Democrat, and under Trump during the 2017-2021 periods of his presidency.
Employers in seasonal businesses – including hotels – have called for more visas. Some construction companies have complained about labor shortages during Trump’s aggressive crackdown on immigration.
Groups favoring lower immigration levels oppose the visas, saying they reduce wages for American workers.
Trump made it harder for tech companies to get workers through the H-1B program, imposing a $100,000 fee that sparked a legal challenge.
A temporary rule making additional H-2B visas available will be formally published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, the notice said.
