HIRE Act Will Empower U.S. Farms and Small Businesses

Jul 18, 2023 by AFP

Congress is long overdue to pass real reforms to our legal immigration system.

Arlington, VA – Americans for Prosperity and The LIBRE Initiative applaud a bipartisan group of 16 lawmakers for introducing the HIRE Act, a bill that reduces red tape and brings transparency to the H-2A and H-2B visa petitioning process. These programs facilitate growth for countless small and rural businesses, enabling them to better serve the needs of their communities.

Daniel Garza, president of The LIBRE Initiative, and Sam Peak, Senior Policy Analyst for Americans for Prosperity, released the following statement:

“Due to burdensome and excessive regulations, family-owned farms and small businesses across America have difficulty hiring the workers they need. The reforms outlined in the HIRE Act will bring transparency and simplicity to the H-2A and H-2B work visa programs, benefitting U.S. businesses, employees, and consumers alike,” said Daniel Garza.

“With over 9 million job vacancies in the U.S., seasonal businesses are struggling the most to find enough workers. If passed, the HIRE Act would streamline the H-2A and H-2B visa programs, ensuring that our immigration system better serves the needs of working Americans,” said Sam Peak.

The HIRE Act seeks to enact the following reforms:

Allows employers to advertise to Americans that their seasonal job opening is intended to last more than 1 year.
Extends H-2 Labor Department certifications from 1 year to 3 years if workers are returning to an employer who previously hired them. This reform spares employers from having to re-submit costly paperwork.
Permanently authorizes the State Department to waive in-person interview requirements for returning H-2 workers when they apply to renew their status.

Members who have signed onto the HIRE Act include Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), Rep. Henry Gonzalez (D-TX), Reps. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ), Henry Cuellar (D-TX), John Duarte (R-CA), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Darren Soto (D-FL), Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ), Chris Pappas (D-NH), James Moylan (R-Guam), Shri Thanedar (D-MI), and Stephanie Bice (R-OK).