November 21, 2025 — United States senators are asking the Trump administration to release the maximum number of additional H-2B temporary visas for 2026 to support seasonal employers, such as the domestic seafood industry.
“Chronic labor shortages – faced by seasonal U.S. employers throughout the nation’s history – have been exacerbated by the post-pandemic evolution of the American workforce. As this need grows, so does the pressure on U.S. workers, whose employers’ workforce needs cannot be met with American workers alone,” U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota) wrote in a joint letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Labor (DOL). “Issuing the extra discretionary H-2B visas in a timely manner will help alleviate these workforce shortages and, in doing so, will help create and sustain the jobs of American workers who rely on the H-2B workers to support their duties during their peak seasons.”