June 16, 2017

Turf Magazine - Ron Hall

Supporters and critics of the H-2B nonimmigrant guest worker program engage in a year-to-year political tug-of-war on Capitol Hill. This tug-of-war is often intense over what is known as the returning worker exemption, which allows workers who have legally worked as H-2B employees in the U.S. any of the three previous years to return to work in the U.S. without being counted against the cap of 66,000 H-2B annual visas established by Congress in 1991.

Dozens of industries and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce vigorously defend the need for the guest worker program — especially with today’s decade-low unemployment. Program critics include powerful forces that would love to see H-2B abolished. In broad strokes they claim the program takes jobs away from U.S. workers. The critics include, among others, members of Congress, organized labor and The Southern Poverty Law Center.

For more click here