Congress adjourned Thursday without extending the H-2B program’s returning-worker exemption. Landscape contractors and other supporters of the seasonal, non-immigrant visa program had hoped this provision would be included in the $555 billion omnibus spending bill approved by both houses of Congress this week. But an amendment for a one-year extension to the returning-worker exemption was stripped out of the House version and was not added by the Senate before being sent to President Bush.
Though Congress reconvenes in early January, it’s not expected to pass any legislation until after the State of the Union address on January 29, according to a statement the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) sent its members on Thursday.
That pushes the potential timeline for a possible fix back to February, at which point the chances for a potential solution are still unclear. Though there will be more attention and pressure on the H-2B issue because the cap will have been reached, the political dynamic that caused a stalemate will not have changed, PLANET said.