Kaine Statement on Announcement of Additional 35,000 H-2B Visas

WASHINGTON, D.C. —U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement today regarding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Labor (DOL) announcement that an additional 35,000 H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas are being made available for U.S. employers between April 1, 2022 and September 30, 2022:

“Seafood businesses play an invaluable role in so many of Virginia’s local coastal economies. I applaud DHS and DOL for heeding our call to make more H-2B visas available, which will help these businesses hire the staff they need to keep delivering the world-class seafood products they’re known for. I’m going to keep working with my colleagues on longer-term solutions, so seafood processors and other seasonal industries can reliably plan for the years to come.”

Even during times of high unemployment, seafood processors in rural and remote coastal regions in Virginia have struggled to find domestic workers. Today’s announcement follows a push by Kaine, alongside Senator Mark R. Warner and Maryland Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, urging the Biden administration to make available the maximum number of congressionally-authorized H-2B visas to ensure that seafood processors have the seasonal workforce they need for the season.

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