H-2B visa

Definition

The seasonal work visa many landscapers depend on, capped nationally and awarded by lottery.

Why It Matters

A book staffed this way carries labor risk that has to be priced. Caps, lottery outcomes, and program changes can leave crews short in the weeks that make the year, and the shortfall arrives at the same time as the work. Ask what the last three seasons actually looked like, who files the paperwork, and what the plan is when the lottery goes the wrong way. Domestic recruiting at short notice is the expensive answer, and it is the usual one.