The decision raises the 2026 total of H-2B visas to more than 130,000, drawing attention from labor advocates and industry groups.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Trump administration has approved the release of an additional 65,000 H-2B visas, allowing employers to bring in more temporary foreign workers for nonagricultural jobs during 2026, according to public records and statements from immigration policy advocates.
The supplemental visas add to the 66,000 H-2B visas annually authorized by Congress, bringing the total number of workers admitted under the program this year to at least 131,000. The administration exercised authority granted by Congress in last year’s federal budget, which permits the executive branch to expand the program in response to employer demand.
“They announced that they were going to release 35,000 [in December], but apparently business owners have complained, so they’re going to release all [66,000],” said Rosemary Jenks, founder of the Immigration Accountability Project, referring to the combined supplemental allocations.
Industry lobbying played a role in the expansion. The landscaping trade group AmericanHort had formally urged the administration to release the additional visas, arguing that seasonal employers are unable to find enough U.S. workers. In its request, the group said the H-2B program requires employers to recruit domestic labor first, but that “there are simply not enough workers to meet the seasonal workforce needs of U.S. employers.”
The administration is permitted to approve the extra visas because Congress included that authority in the most recent budget agreement. The supplemental visas are in addition to the statutory cap and are expected to be allocated in stages throughout the year.
Jenks criticized the expansion, saying it increases competition for jobs and holds down wages. “That’s a massive number of cheap foreign workers competing with Americans for jobs and suppressing wages,” she said.
Estimates of the program’s total size vary. The Economic Policy Institute has estimated the H-2B workforce at roughly 170,000 workers, significantly higher than the statutory cap, due to repeated use of supplemental allocations. Lawmakers have also included language in pending budget legislation that could allow the annual number to exceed 170,000 in 2027.
H-2B workers are hired either directly by employers or through staffing firms and are used across a range of industries, including construction, meatpacking, trucking, landscaping, hospitality, golf courses, and restaurants. Most positions are classified as seasonal, though some critics argue the program has expanded into year-round roles. Trump-owned properties have previously used H-2B workers.
Jenks said wages offered under the program have not kept pace with inflation. “[H-2B wages are] not even anywhere close to kept up with inflation, and they’re still $11 an hour, or $10 an hour, or maybe $12 an hour,” she said. “The employers are supposed to show that they can’t find an American [for the job], and they’re supposed to pay the same wages to the H-2B as they would to Americans.”
She added that offering wages at those levels makes it difficult for domestic workers to accept the jobs, while employers continue to assert labor shortages.
Labor analysts have also said reliance on temporary foreign workers reduces incentives for companies to train domestic workers or invest in machinery that could increase productivity. Critics argue that long-term reliance on visa labor affects local economies because wages earned by foreign workers are often sent abroad rather than spent in U.S. communities.
Since 1990, labor advocates say a combination of illegal and legal migration has displaced millions of Americans from lower-wage sectors, making workforce reintegration more difficult when entry-level jobs are filled by visa holders.
At the same time, economists note that reduced access to migrant labor has contributed to faster wage growth in some sectors. An analysis of government data by Alan Tonelson found wages rising more quickly in industries that previously relied heavily on migrant labor.
Restaurant industry advocates say tighter labor markets are pushing wages higher while reducing profits. According to Oxford Economics, wage growth in the sector is expected to accelerate through 2027. Data from the National Restaurant Association show median pretax income for restaurants has fallen by more than 30 percent since 2019, contributing to weaker stock performance.
Democratic lawmakers have also acknowledged that tighter labor markets are contributing to upward pressure on prices. Rep. Tom Suozzi of New York said during a January appearance on NewsNation that a smaller migrant workforce has led to more overtime and higher wages, factors that feed into higher consumer prices.
The expansion of the H-2B program comes as both parties continue to debate immigration, wages, and affordability ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, with labor supply emerging as a central economic issue.