H-2B Visas and Visa Cap Information for the 2020 Season

By Southeast Contracting.

The H-2B Visa Program has been active since 1986 and it was created to cover the lack of workers in the U.S. for industries that require temporary unskilled workers in their busiest seasons.

This program's evolution has impacted the roofing industry through the years. During the recession of 2009-2010, the visa cap was enough to cover the industry’s needs. After 2017, the construction industry saw an increase in demand for workers due to new construction and storm restoration work from the inclement weather, hurricanes and tornados. The result of the increase in work plus the Visa cap is the shortage of manpower in the U.S. The U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) allows 33,000 workers who begin employment in the second half of the fiscal year (April 1 – Sept. 30), which is not enough for all the industries that take advantage of this program.

Why is this season so competitive? Because weather conditions are favorable for the roofing industry as well as other industries that take advantage of the H2B Visa program.

The past four years have been kind of chaotic for employers and companies that are requesting visas. For example, in 2017, more than 4,194 employers applied for H2B visas just in April, with more than 74,919 applicants. In 2018, 4,498 employers applied with more than 81,008 applicants. 2019 saw more than 5,300 employers applying to try to obtain visas just the first week of January, with more than 93,864 applicants. The number of petitions is increasing every year.

This year the increment of companies that are applying is considerable too, the difference between this season and the other, is USCIS on February 20 announced they will conduct random selection of which companies are selected to proceed to the last step of USCIS Premium Processing Services. USCIS defines the premium processing as “an optional service currently authorized for certain petitioners filing Forms I-129 or I-140. The system allows petitioners to request 15-day processing of these forms if they pay an extra fee.”

The Department of Homeland Security announced on March 5, 2020 that there will be an additional 35,000 visas processed in tow waves: 20,000 for start dates beginning April 1 and 15,000 for start dates beginning May 15.

The need for more Visas is evidenced by the labor shortage facing the roofing industry. You can make a difference by attending NRCA’s Roofing Day and advocating for change.