Maine’s U.S. senators are working with a bipartisan group of colleagues to call for an increased number of work visas to help small businesses find seasonal workers.

Republican Susan Collins and independent Angus King are asking the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to bump the number of H-2B visas. This the second straight year Maine’s senators have urged the Trump administration to raise the limit on visas for temporary non-agricultural workers.

Collins and King say the increase is necessary because of the tight labor market, which is making it difficult for businesses to fill seasonal job openings. They want the department to increase the 66,000 cap on the visas to more than 135,000.

The senators say the increase is especially important for states that depend on the tourism sector, such as Maine.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.

filed under: