H–2 Improvements to Relieve Employers Act

To streamline the issuance of nonimmigrant temporary work visas, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the H–2 Improvements to Relieve Employers Act HIRE Act 2. Streamline process for H–2A and H–2B for employers (a) H–2A Section 218 of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1188 (j) Duration (1) Certification A certification issued under this section shall be in effect for a period of 3 years. (2) Petition A petition filed under this section shall be valid for a period of 3 years. . (b) H–2B Section 214(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1184(g) (12) (A) A petition filed on behalf of an alien to temporarily perform labor or services in the United States under section 101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(b) shall be valid for a period of 3 years. (B) A certification issued for the temporary employment of aliens performing labor or services under section 101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(b) shall be in effect for a period of 3 years. . 3. Streamline process for H–2A/H–2B returning workers (a) H–2A Section 218 of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1188 (k) Waiver of interview An in-person interview may be waived with respect to an alien who is seeking to renew status under section 101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(a) not more than 4 years after the expiration of such status. . (b) H–2B Section 214(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( 8 U.S.C. 1184(g) (13) An in-person interview may be waived with respect to an alien who is seeking to renew status under section 101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(b) not more than 4 years after the expiration of such status. . 4. Enhance Job Transparency The Secretary of Labor, at the request of an employer, shall publish, on the website of the Department of Labor, information on the amount of seasons during which such employer expects to have seasonal employment available, not to exceed 3 seasons.

Summary: H-2 Improvements to Relieve Employers Act or the HIRE Act This bill addresses issues relating to temporary work visas, including by extending the period of stay for H-2A (temporary agricultural workers) and H-2B (temporary nonagricultural workers) visas. Under this bill, the period of stay for an H-2A or H-2B visa shall generally be three years, whereas under current law, these visas are typically valid for up to a year with extensions available for one-year periods for up to three consecutive years. Specifically, this bill establishes that labor certifications and petitions for such visas shall be valid for three years. (Under current regulations, the period of stay for an H-2A or H-2B visa is for the validity period of the underlying petition and supporting labor certification, with some additional time to allow the visa holder to relocate to and from the United States.) The bill also authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to waive the in-person requirement for an individual seeking to renew an H-2A or H-2B visa within four years of the expiration of the earlier visa. The Department of Labor must publish on its website information on the number of seasons during which an employer expects to have seasonal employment available, if the employer requests such information.