US to add 65,000 seasonal guest worker visas for 2026

By Ted Hesson

WASHINGTON, Jan 30 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s administration will add some 65,000 H-2B seasonal guest worker visas through September 30, a Federal Register notice said, saying the visas would be available to employers at risk of severe financial hardship due to a lack of U.S. labor.

The move roughly doubles the 66,000 visas available each year to businesses such as construction, hospitality, landscaping and seafood processing, in a recognition that U.S. employers in those industries could be struggling to find workers.

Trump, a Republican, launched a wide-ranging immigration crackdown after returning to the White House in 2025, portraying immigrants without legal status as criminals and a drain on their communities. His administration also has clamped down on forms of legal immigration, with broad travel bans and reviews of refugee and asylum cases.

The number of available visas also was expanded under former President Joe Biden, a Democrat, and Trump during periods of his 2017-2021 presidency.

Employers in the seasonal businesses – including hotels – have clamored for more visas. Some construction businesses have complained of a lack of workers during Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown.

Groups that favor lower levels of immigration oppose the visas, saying they undercut wages for U.S. workers.

Trump has made it harder for tech businesses to obtain workers through the H-1B program, tacking on a $100,000 fee that has triggered a legal challenge.

A temporary rule making the additional H-2B visas available will be formally published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, the notice said.

(Reporting by Ted Hesson; Editing by David Gregorio)