Status
The U.S. construction industry faces a workforce shortage of more than half a million people in 2024, and bipartisan solutions are imperative to address our legal immigration workforce needs. Without a skilled workforce, contractors cannot build the places where we live, gather, work, learn and heal.
Currently, the best employment-based visa program available for the construction industry is the H-2B visa program, which allows foreign nationals into the United States to perform temporary, nonagricultural work. However, the program is often a tedious, time-consuming, expensive process for many contractors. In addition, demand for H-2B visas far exceeds supply and the H-2B visa cap is typically capped at 66,000 per year. This broken program creates an unpredictable environment for employers who must annually rely on Congress for supplemental H-2B cap increases.
It is apparent that the America’s broken immigration system needs meaningful reform. Currently, there are approximately 12 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, and it is essential that Congress works to address this crisis by advancing commonsense immigration reform.
On June 25, 2023, Rep. Lloyd Smucker, R-Pa., introduced H.R. 3734, the Essential Workers for Economic Advancement Act. This legislation would establish a new, market-driven visa program for foreign workers that will help address the workforce shortage and allow the construction industry and the American economy to continue to grow and prosper.
Desired Outcome:
In our divided government, any immigration reform proposal must implement bipartisan solutions to fix America’s failing immigration system. ABC supports lawful immigration reforms that address the construction workforce needs of the 21st century, anticipate the future flow of immigrants into the United States and eliminate incentives for individuals to illegally enter the country in search of work opportunities.
As the 118th Congress considers immigration reform, ABC supports expansion of the H-2B visa program, increased annual quotas for employment-based immigrant and nonimmigrant visas, the establishment of a new market-driven visa program for foreign workers and continued protections for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Temporary Protected Status recipients, who have been members of the construction industry workforce for years. In addition, ABC supports the implementation of an improved E-Verify system with necessary protections for employers acting in good faith to ensure a legal workforce.
ABC will continue to work with Congress and the administration to stabilize and improve our nation’s immigration system and support well-paying jobs for America’s workers.