An unusual problem has crept up during the slow start to summer for some Island workers: there’s not enough work.

The Department of Homeland Security announced sweeping changes to its H-2B seasonal worker visa program include nearly doubling the cap on visas in 2023.

A large allotment of H-2B work visas was announced by Rep. Bill Keating’s office last Thursday, easing some of the uncertainty among Island business owners about the summer work force, especially for returning workers.

A summer of uncertainty looms for Island business owners in their annual scramble to hire staff — especially foreign workers.

A changing climate around immigration policy under the Biden administration is reopening opportunities for the Island’s vital summer workforce.

The decision by the Trump administration to extend a freeze on temporary work visas has dealt another blow to Island business owners.

The newly-available 30,000 visas will be earmarked specifically for returning workers, meaning those who have previously used the visas to work in the United States.

Several Island hotels are facing a labor shortage this summer due to changes in how seasonal work visas are distributed.

A cap on visas for workers from foreign countries has some Vineyard employers scrambling to fill jobs before the summer.

It’s that time of year when seasonal businesses are taking down the shutters and the summer workforce is beginning to arrive.

In recent years Eastern Europeans and Jamaicans have been filling a growing share of summer jobs. Foreign workers wait tables, greet guests, pour beers, make hotel beds, bake peanut brittle and fudge, serve lobster rolls and fry quesadillas. About 5,000 people come to the Island to work each year, according to a recent Martha’s Vineyard Commission report on housing needs.