On April 2, 2020, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it is holding off on plans to
issue additional H-2B visas. DHS had previously agreed to make an
additional 35,000 visas available to seasonal
employers after the
visa quota (or cap) had been met for the second half of fiscal year
(FY) 2020. The announcement did not include detailed
information, but said that H-2B visas are on hold until further
notice pending review of current "economic circumstances"
in the United States, presumably due to the impact of COVID-19.
The H-2B program provides temporary nonagricultural labor to
employers facing a shortage of available workers in the United
States. Employers must demonstrate that the need for workers is
temporary based on a one-time, seasonal, intermittent, or peak-load
need. Common H-2B positions include hotel staff, housekeepers,
janitors, amusement park workers, landscapers, and warehouse
workers, among others. H-2B visas are subject to a quota
