(The Center Square) – Legislation to exempt caps on visas for foreign workers in the seafood industry has been introduced in the Senate, with supporters saying the workers are critical to the industry.
Sens. Tim Kaine, D-Va., Mark Warner, D-Va. and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, introduced the Save Our Seafood Act, which would exempt fish processors from H-2B visa caps. The lawmakers say the visas are vital to the industry and economy.
The Virginia senators say the seafood industry is a billion-dollar industry in the commonwealth that generates over $26 million and supports more than 7,000 jobs; however, it relies heavily on H-2B visa holders.
Congress has set an H-2B, a non-agriculture temporary worker, program cap at 66,000 per fiscal year, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The program splits the number in half for workers to begin employment between Oct. 1 and March 31; the other 33,000 can work between Apr. 1 and Sept. 30.
The senators say during crab and oyster season, the seafood processors “struggle to get enough workers.” The legislation “would permanently exempt seasonal, nonimmigrant workers” in the industry from the visa cap.
The New American Economy found that foreign-born workers comprise a large portion of the seafood processing workforce, noting that nearly 63% of fish processing workers.
Warner cautioned that without the workers, the industry could be jeopardized.
“Without this workforce, many of Virginia’s seafood processors would simply have to close up shop,” Warner said. “I’m glad to introduce this legislation that will help Virginia’s businesses by ensuring they have the labor needed to keep their operations up and running.”
John Graham III, president of Graham & Rollins, Inc., a Virginia-based seafood company, describes the visa program as a “lifeline” for his family business.
“Our fourth generation family crab processing facility in Hampton continues to struggle to keep our doors open!” said Graham, who is supporting the legislation. “The H-2B program has been our lifeline the last 30 years and without congressional help we will perish. The current lottery system currently deployed by Homeland Security is not feasible to sustain any kind of business and frankly is a disaster!!”
