The federal government on Wednesday will make an additional 35,000 temporary visas available in an effort to help small businesses in Maine and other states find workers from abroad to fill seasonal openings. 

Officials with HospitalityMaine, an organization which represents businesses in the state’s hospitality sector, say they’re expecting 2022 to be a record-breaking year for tourism but fear there won’t be enough workers to fill seasonal jobs from May through October, when 60 percent of all visits to the state occur. In April, nationwide unemployment was a low 3.6 percent.

“The severe worker shortage that we have been experiencing in the hospitality industry will be somewhat mitigated by this much-needed announcement from the Departments of Labor and Homeland Security,” said Greg Dugal, director of government affairs for HospitalityMaine.  

Dugal thanked Maine Sens. Susan Collins (R) and Angus King (I) for their advocacy in getting the departments of Homeland Security and Labor to green light the additional visas this year. While the 35,000 additional visas are available to employers in all 50 states, Collins and King said they are vital to small business owners in Maine. 

“Maine’s tourism industry is a significant part of our state’s economy, supporting the jobs of tens of thousands of Mainers," Collins and King said in a joint statement. "In order to meet the demand of the millions of visitors to our state each year, Maine businesses need H-2B workers to supplement their Maine workforce. Without their help, many of these hotels and restaurants would be unable to open or would have to curtail their operations, hurting local communities and Maine workers employed by these businesses.” 

Business owners must apply for one of the visas but the application is not a guarantee one will be issued. Employers seeking to hire H-2B workers must provide certification from the Department of Labor that proves there are not enough U.S. workers who are able, willing, qualified and available to do the temporary work for which they seek a prospective foreign worker. An employer also has to show that employing someone through the visa program will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of similarly employed U.S. workers.