In welcome news to seasonal employers, including golf, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it will make available 64,716 additional H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas for Fiscal Year 2024. The DHS has the authority to release these visas under current budget authority in spite of the fact that Congress has yet to enact a final budget for FY 24. The supplemental visas will join the 66,000 (low) annual cap. 

DHS is releasing the same number of additional visas released last year, 64,716. And, like last year, 44,716 of those visas would be eligible for “returning workers” defined as those who’ve come into the country during one of the last three years. 20,000 would be set aside (returning worker or not) for Haiti, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, also like last year. The announcement expands this list to now include Columbia, Costa Rica and Ecuador.   

The announcement is here. GCSAA expects a rule-making that will provide dates that visas are eligible. We will provide updates once we know more.