Landscape Architect Articles

No More Work Visas For Three Countries 02-01-18 | Legislation

No More Work Visas For Three Countries
Landscape Professionals Could Feel the Pressure

According to the American Community Survey, in 2015 there were 43 million immigrants living in the United States, accounting for 13.5% of the total population at the time. This number is expected to decline in the coming years under the Trump administration.

President Trump recently banned H-2A and H-2B work visas for people from Haiti, Belize and Samoa.

The Department of Homeland Security stated on Wednesday, January 17, that there have been "high levels of fraud and abuse" from Haitians regarding the H-2B visa program. The department continued to say that approximately 39% of all Haitians that were granted a temporary work visa in the United States stayed here illegally after their visa expired.

This ban could likely have impacts on some job sectors, nursery and landscaping jobs especially, as H-2A applies to nursery and agricultural jobs, while H-2B pertains to nonagricultural and seasonal jobs.

The Migration Policy Institute claims that in 2015 there were approximately 700,000 Haitian immigrants and 50,000 Belizean immigrants in the U.S. No statistics were given for Samoan immigrants.

Florida and New York will most likely see the biggest change because nearly 70% of all Haitian immigrants live in these two states.

These immigration cuts could hinder landscape professionals seeking temporary employees because they will have to compete with other employers to fill job positions, picking from a pool of people that is ever shrinking.

The overall idea for these bans is that they would give Americans more job opportunities.

To learn more, visit landscapearchitect's article search page HERE and use the keyword "H-2B."