MIKULSKI CALLS ON HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY TO CONDUCT AUDIT OF SEASONAL WORKER H-2B VISAS AND MAKE AVAILABLE UNUSED VISAS FOR BUSINESSES THAT USE H-2B VISAS

Mikulski is a long-time champion of the H-2B visa program, which is a one-two punch for Maryland, keeping small and seasonal businesses open while supporting the jobs of Marylanders who rely on them
 
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), Vice Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, at a hearing of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, hand-delivered a letter and urged to Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) Jeh Johnson to conduct an immediate & expedited audit on the number of non-immigrant H-2B visas that have been both requested and used in 2015. The Senator requested that any unused visas uncovered as a part of this audit be promptly made available to eligible businesses that have been unable to secure workers due to the cap being reached.

“Maryland businesses that use the H-2B visa program have a real problem right now, and that’s that, because of the H-2B visa caps, they can’t get the H-2B visas this year that they need to run their businesses. But I have a suggestion for how to beat this problem,” Senator Mikulski said. “I’m requesting that you do an audit of how many non-immigrant H-2B visas have been requested and how many have been used. That would allow you to give the unused visas to businesses that need them. These businesses need a government on their side. Every time there is a bureaucratic rule change or legal interpretation that harms their ability to operate their business, they lose another piece of their livelihood. They need a functioning H-2B program.”

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