Trump Administration to Double H-2B Guest Worker Visas

The Trump administration has announced plans to release nearly 65,000 additional H-2B guest worker visas through September, a move that will effectively double the annual limit on the program and provide a significant boost to U.S. businesses reliant on seasonal foreign labor.

The decision comes at a time when President Donald Trump has pursued an aggressive overhaul of the U.S. immigration system, narrowing legal pathways while simultaneously directing a sweeping deportation campaign. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations have intensified across several American cities, reinforcing the administration’s hardline stance on immigration enforcement.

Yet, the expansion of H-2B guest worker visas highlights a notable exception in the president’s approach—one driven by mounting pressure from American employers who say they cannot sustain operations without access to temporary foreign workers.

Trump Administration: Balancing Immigration Crackdowns With Economic Reality

While seasonal worker visas are being expanded, other legal immigration channels have faced new hurdles. The administration has placed significant strain on the H-1B program for skilled workers, most notably by proposing a steep $100,000 application fee that critics say could severely limit participation.

President Trump has also faced resistance from his political base for publicly supporting H-1B visas, which are commonly used by technology and engineering firms. In contrast, the move to expand H-2B guest worker visas appears to reflect a calculated response to business leaders, particularly in industries affected by tariffs and rising labor costs.

Seasonal sectors such as landscaping, construction, hospitality, and tourism have repeatedly warned that labor shortages threaten their ability to function at full capacity, especially during peak demand months.

A Program With Personal Ties to the President

The H-2B program is not unfamiliar territory for President Trump. Long before his presidency, Trump-owned businesses were frequent users of H-2B guest worker visas, employing foreign workers as cooks, housekeepers, servers, and other service staff at his properties.

These hiring practices continued during his first term in office, including at Mar-a-Lago, his private club and residence in Palm Beach, Florida. The president’s longstanding reliance on the program has drawn scrutiny from critics but is also cited by supporters as evidence of the program’s necessity for certain sectors.

Trump Administration: Industry Lobbying Accelerates Visa Expansion

Under existing law, the H-2B program is capped at 66,000 visas annually. Historically, federal agencies have authorized supplemental visas once demand exceeded that limit. However, after President Trump returned to office last year, employers were less certain that additional visas would be approved, prompting intensified lobbying efforts.

Industry groups urged the administration to act earlier this year, warning of immediate workforce gaps. In December, the National Association of Landscape Professionals publicly called for swift action.

“The American economy depends on a reliable, legal, and timely workforce to keep essential industries running,” the association said, emphasizing that seasonal businesses are facing “severe labor shortages that threaten their ability to operate at full capacity.”