S. 2705 — State Executive Authority for Seasonal Occupations Needing Additional Labor Act

This bill authorizes additional H-2B (temporary nonagricultural worker) visas to be issued to employers in a state with unmet labor needs. (H-2B visas are subject to an annual numerical cap.) Under the bill, a state may request a particular number of H-2B visas if (1) employers have requested visas in excess of the numerical cap for that fiscal year, and (2) a state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has been 3.5% or less (in 9 of the most recent 12 quarters). The state must also certify that (1) there is a persistent, unmet need for labor within the state, an occupational category, or an Economic Development District; and (2) the additional H-2B visas will not displace existing member...