In response to the persisting shortage of workforce exceeding one million job vacancies in the industry, the US Department of Homeland Security has announced a significant expansion of the maximum cap for H-2B non-agricultural foreign workers by nearly 65,000. This move has been welcomed by the travel industry, which deems it vital for economic growth.

Tori Emerson Barnes, the Executive Vice President of Policy and Public Affairs at the US Travel Association, has expressed support in a statement issued following the DHS's Friday announcement. According to Barnes, "these additional H-2B visas, released well ahead of the peak travel season, will provide a crucial boost to an industry grappling with a labor shortage surpassing one million job vacancies."

Despite acknowledging the progress made, the US Travel Association has emphasized the need for more robust action, highlighting that there are approximately 10 million job vacancies nationwide. This underscores the insufficient number of job seekers in the US to meet the current labor demand. In this regard, the association has underscored the importance of permanently expanding the H-2B program, especially to support small and seasonal businesses reliant on temporary workers.

US Travel has expressed gratitude to the Department of Homeland Security for releasing the additional H-2B visas and has urged lawmakers to act with greater urgency and seek bipartisan solutions to permanently expand this program, ensuring the continued and sustainable growth of the travel industry in the United States.