Summary
The Trump administration has decided to cut the number of supplemental H-2B work visas available to U.S. seasonal employers, reducing the allocation by nearly half compared to recent years. These visas help fill short-term jobs in industries like hospitality and tourism when there aren't enough U.S. workers.
Key Facts
- The Trump administration plans to issue 35,000 supplemental H-2B visas for fiscal year 2026.
- In previous years, up to 64,716 supplemental visas were issued annually under the same authority.
- The H-2B visa program allows U.S. businesses to hire temporary workers for seasonal jobs.
- Congress has authorized extra visas beyond the cap to meet labor demands when needed.
- The annual statutory cap for H-2B visas is 66,000, split between two halves of the fiscal year.
- Immigrants make up about 20% of the U.S. workforce, with a high presence in sectors like agriculture and hospitality.
- From January to July 2025, over 1.2 million immigrants left the U.S. labor force.
- Concerns are rising that the reduced number of visas could lead to labor shortages in certain industries.
