H-2B visa

Thursday, May 15, 2008                                             Contact: Andrea Wuebker/Laena Fallon

GREGG FIGHTS FOR SMALL AND SEASONAL BUSINESSES WITH H-2B VISA RELIEF

            WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) today applauded the Senate Appropriations Committee’s passage of a three year extension of the H-2B returning worker provision helping businesses that count on seasonal workers to stay in business.   This bipartisan amendment, co-sponsored by Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), exempts returning seasonal workers from the national cap of 66,000 visas. The original law to provide this returning worker exemption, authored by Senator Gregg, expired on September 30, 2007, leaving many businesses in New Hampshire and throughout the nation with an inadequate workforce.  This amendment is contained in the emergency supplemental appropriations bill, which now heads to the full Senate for possible consideration.