President Signs New Act, Enacting H-2B Visa Relief

October 20, 2006 - On October 17, 2006, President Bush signed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 (H.R. 5122) into law. Section 1074 of the bill includes a one year extension of the returning worker exemption to the H-2B visa cap and provides for the extension to take effect beginning October 1, 2006. The US Congress has exempted foreign employees returning to a previous job from the annual cap of 66,000 H2B visas meant for temporary, non-agricultural workers.

This was part of the immigration provisions of the spending bill approved on 3 May, 2005 by negotiators for the House of Representatives and Senate. This provision had been sought by the summer hospitality industry and seasonable industries. New H2B workers are still subject to the cap and employers should file new H2B visas as soon as possible. For more information about the H2B visa click here....