On March 13, Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-PA) introduced AGC-supported legislation, H.R. 1740, in the House that would help fill the visa gap for year-round construction workers, among others. Current law allows legal immigration for high tech, agriculture and seasonal workers. However, there is no dedicated visa for typical construction occupations. AGC views the legislation as a complement to its efforts to help address the industry’s worker shortages as well as a critical ingredient for immigration reform.

The bill creates a market-driven visa program that would match employers with potential immigrant laborers by creating temporary visas for guest workers if local market conditions warrant and U.S. workers cannot be found. The program would have an annual cap and would fluctuate based on demand, with a number of wage and labor protections to further protect American workers.

For more information, contact Jim Young at [email protected].