Maine's congressional delegation is welcoming a federal decision to release additional temporary work visas.
The Department of Homeland Security announced Friday it would release an additional 64,716 H-2B visas for fiscal year 2025. That's on top of the baseline 66,000 visas mandated by Congress.
The Department said it released the same number of supplemental visas last year.
In a statement, Senators Susan Collins and Angus King said the decision will provide relief for Maine businesses struggling with a tight labor market.
Dozens of Maine businesses, including many in the tourism sector, rely on the foreign guest worker program to staff seasonal, non-agricultural positions.
According to federal data, more than 27,000 workers were approved for Maine-based employers in 2024.
