It is a similar lift to last year, when the administration increased the number by 22,000. The Trump administration had moved to raise it by 35,000 in 2020 but stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n
In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security claimed the increase in visas is to benefit employers facing "irreparable harm" without additional labor.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/cf-images.us-east-1.prod.boltdns.net\/v1\/static\/854081161001\/93143a1d-08cf-4d5f-afed-cc629d975922\/1fa0acce-1a04-43ff-a821-c81df6292708\/1280x720\/match\/image.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
December added fewer jobs than expected<\/h2>\n
SlateStone Wealth Chief Market Strategist Kenny Polcari joins \u2018Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street\u2019 to discuss the impact of the December jobs report.<\/p>\n
"DHS is taking action to address the needs of our economy by making an additional 20,000 H-2B visas available to workers," said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. "We are providing employers with the resources and support needed to sustain their businesses while expanding lawful pathways to the United States. At the same time, DHS and DOL are protecting against the exploitation of H-2B workers." <\/p>\n
Of the allocation, 13,500 are for returning workers who previously were given H-2B status, while 6,500 are being made available to nationals of Haiti, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras in response to an executive order by President Biden to promote "orderly" migration.<\/p>\n