As the economy recovers, ABC member companies likely will face a shortage of qualified workers—both craft professionals and legal laborers. Unfortunately, current immigration laws disproportionately affect construction companies due to their fluctuating work needs.
Current immigration law allows construction companies to bring in workers to perform unskilled tasks in non-agricultural industries through the H-2B visa program for seasonal workers. However, the H-2B visa program can be time-consuming, expensive and largely unsuccessful for the construction industry because of its limitation based on seasons.
ABC’s immigration policy—developed by ABC’s Immigration Task Force—states any successful reform measure must work to ensure the enforcement of our laws, the security of our borders and the prosperity of our economy. Immigration reform will fail without a legal channel allowing willing and essential foreign workers the opportunity to work legally in this country.
Federal Laws & Regulations Current Federal Law and Proposed Regulations
Information on E-Verify, Form I-9, H2-B Visas and SSA "No-Match" letters.
State Affairs State Immigration Laws and Legislation
While the federal government has not yet passed comprehensive immigration reform, many states have taken steps to address the issue.