Are you interested in working temporarily in the United States? Each year, the United States welcomes thousands of foreign workers through the H-2B visa program to fill temporary non-agricultural jobs in the United States. This year, in line with the Biden administration's commitment to expand legal avenues as an alternative to irregular immigration, the H-2B visa program includes a special allocation for workers from seven countries, including Colombia.
(See also: How can you get an investor visa for the United States? The consul answers)
H-2B visas are nonimmigrant visas that allow U.S. employers, companies or agencies to temporarily employ foreign workers in the United States to meet urgent labor demands. American companies in sectors such as hospitality, tourism, landscaping, seafood processing and others depend on seasonal and temporary workers in the H-2B program to meet demand.
Because an H-2B visa is a nonimmigrant visa, it does not allow workers to remain in the United States indefinitely or become lawful permanent residents. H-2B visas are typically valid for the duration of employment, or up to one year, with the ability to renew up to two times. The spouse and unmarried children under age 21 of an H-2B worker may apply for H-4 nonimmigrant visas. However, family members cannot work in the United States while in H-4 status.
To apply for an H-2B visa, a U.S. employer or agency must apply for workers it wants to bring to the United States. Only foreign workers whose petitions have been approved by the Department of Homeland Security can apply for an H-2B visa. Therefore, anyone interested in applying for an H-2B visa should first search for US companies looking for H-2B workers and contact the company to obtain employment. A useful database of seasonal and temporary job openings is https://seasonaljobs.dol.gov/.
Typically, 66,000 H-2B visas can be issued each fiscal year. However, in November 2023, the US government announced that an additional 64,716 H-2B visas would be available through October 2024 to meet the needs of US businesses. This additional amount includes 20,000 H-2B visas specifically for workers from seven countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. For the first time, this country-specific allocation includes Colombia.
The US government also announced that it was strengthening strong labor protections for H-2B workers, to ensure that foreign workers who apply for visas to work legally in the United States are protected from exploitation or unscrupulous employment practices. . These ads underscore the Biden administration's message that there are legal ways to work and live temporarily in the United States, and that these ways are safer, more certain, and more beneficial than other alternatives. For more information about the requirements and cost of this type of visa, we invite you to visit our website co.usembassy.gov/visas
UNITED STATES CONSULATE
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