U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Policy Tori Emerson Barnes issued the following statement on the announcement that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will make available an additional 35,000 H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas for the second half of fiscal year (FY) 2022:

“Today’s announcement is a positive step in the right direction to restore the travel industry workforce. However, as millions of jobs remain open, it is evident that the workforce shortage is holding back the recovery of industries across the economy, especially in Leisure & Hospitality. As we move into the busy summer travel season, businesses across the country will need access to temporary workers to perform vital operations and ensure they can meet a surge in demand.

“With more than 1.7 million job openings in the Leisure & Hospitality sector alone, we continue to urge the administration to exercise the full authority given by Congress and release all authorized H-2B visas above the cap, which is necessary for an even recovery across all sectors of travel.”