State & Local Government Policy, Business and Technology

Why Foreign Worker Visa Reform Is a Top Priority in Colorado

Route Fifty: VAIL, Colo. — The Centennial State’s record low unemployment rate has increased calls from a diverse spectrum of industries for Congress to reform and expand visa programs for foreign guest workers, even as the Trump administration wages war on immigrant labor and non-immigrant work visas.

“Non-immigrant visa issues, both J-1s and H-2Bs, are a big deal in Colorado, where the unemployment rate is so low,” said Melanie Mills, president and CEO of Colorado Ski Country USA, a trade group that represents 22 of Colorado’s ski areas. “It’s a real challenge to hire as many people as we need and keep them through the whole season, and these programs have historically been really important to the industry, especially in times of low unemployment.”

Read article