The US needs workers and offers an additional 35,000 H-2B visas (without university)

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Labor (DOL) announced on Monday, May 16, the availability of an additional 35,000 H-2B non-immigrant visas for temporary workers during the second half of the fiscal year 2022. 

With these visas, employers will be able to hire foreign workers with employment dates on or after April 1, 2022, and through September 30, 2022.

“These additional H-2B visas will help businesses meet the demand for seasonal workers at this crucial time, when there is a shortage of workers,” said Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas. 

“The visas are accompanied by significant worker protections and provide a safe and legal way for people to come to the United States and earn wages in jobs that are not filled by American workers,” he added. 

Of the 35,000 visas available, 23,500 will go to workers who already had one of these work permits, and the remaining 11,500 visas are reserved for people from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Haiti.

Employers can start applying for H-2B visas on May 18.

What are H-2B visas?

The H-2B visa program allows employers to temporarily hire non-citizens to perform non-agricultural work or services in the United States. The employment must be for a limited period or a seasonal or intermittent need.

It was created for workers with or without experience, who do not require academic or professional degrees to work.

With this visa, you can work in gardening, construction, cleaning, hotel jobs … Also as a forestry worker, waiter, factory worker, animal caretaker, and more.

Some of the countries whose citizens can process these visas are Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and Uruguay.  

The 10 most requested occupations with an H-2B visa

Some occupations are more in demand than others. The ones listed below accounted for the majority of the intended visas, according to the  2021 report from the Department of Labor’s  Office of Labor Certification for Foreigners.

1)  Landscaping, gardeners and maintenance workers. They take 37.6% of the visas. 

2) Cutters and meat, poultry, and fish processing workers. They take 9.8% of the available visas. 

3) Workers for forest conservation. They have 7.9% of the visas. 

4)  Maids and cleaning service. They take 6.6% of visas. 

5) Workers in recreation centers (such as amusement parks). 6.4% of visas. 

6)  Workers, loaders and movers. 2.6% of visas. 

7) Restaurant cooks. They take 2.6% of the available H-2B visas. 

8)  Waiters. They get 2.6% of the available visas. 

9) Construction workers. They have 1.9% of visas. 

10) Animal caretakers (non-cattle farmers). They have 1.2% of visas. 

The states with the most job openings for  H-2B employees are Texas, Florida, and Alaska.