Moving the needle: H-2B visa program appropriations bill

By Dani Sheehan. 

A House subcommittee approved returning worker exemption for the H-2B visa program, an important step in addressing temporary labor shortages. 

Advocacy plays an important role in shaping policies that directly impact industries and communities. This was evident during the National Roofing Contractors Association’s (NRCA) Roofing Day in Washington D.C. on April 16-17, 2024, to address crucial issues affecting our sector. Industry professionals gathered on Capitol Hill to discuss issues, such as workforce shortages, increased funding for career and technical education state grants, immigration reform and more. 

Since Roofing Day, there have been notable developments regarding the H-2B visa program, which is critical for addressing seasonal workforce needs in the roofing industry. The H-2B visa is designed for employers who need to fill temporary, non-agricultural positions for which there are not enough qualified U.S. workers. These positions are typically seasonal, intermittent, peak load or one-time occurrence jobs. Currently, there is an annual cap of 66,000 H-2B visas divided into two halves of each fiscal year: 33,000 can be issued between October 1 and March 31, and 33,000 can be issued between April 1 and September 30. Unused visas can roll from the first half to the second half of the fiscal year, but not from one fiscal year to the next. 

A subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee recently approved a fiscal year 2025 appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security. This bill includes a returning worker exemption for the H-2B seasonal visa program, which the NRCA supports. This exemption would allow workers with H-2B visas who have been employed by the same employer in the last three years to be exempt from the annual cap of 66,000 visas normally awarded. Changing this could significantly increase the number of available visas for the 2025 season, helping meet peak workforce demands. 

The developments with the H-2B visa program, while not directly related to the issues discussed during Roofing Day, underscore the importance of continued advocacy and relationship-building with policymakers to help highlight industry needs. Engaging with legislators, sharing industry insights and demonstrating the real-world impacts of workforce shortages can drive meaningful policy changes by ensuring our voices are heard and our needs are considered in the legislative process.  

NRCA will continue to support maximizing the number of visas available for the H-2B seasonal visa program as it is a positive step toward meeting the industry’s workforce needs. 

Learn more about the subcommittee approval and look for updates as the legislation continues to be considered by the House of Representatives during the coming weeks.