In this May 25, 2018, photo, Anthony Rios, left, works with gardener Carol Emerson at Sebasco Harbor Resort in Phippsburg, Maine. Bob Smith, owner of the resort hired a half-dozen Puerto Ricans last summer for housekeeping, landscaping and kitchen work, providing relief to his overworked staff. This summer he is doubling the number, and he would like to hire even more. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
The Associated Press
PHIPPSBURG, Maine (AP) - Tourism businesses from Maine to Missouri are turning to Puerto Ricans as they deal with red tape and visa limits on foreign workers.
Many of the Puerto Ricans are happy to help as they try to escape a shattered economy and devastation caused by Hurricane Maria last year.
Employers large and small are seeking alternative solutions as demand continues to outstrip the annual allotment of 66,000 H-2B temporary visas.
The Department of Homeland Security on Friday announced an additional 15,000 visas but it'll take weeks to get the paperwork sorted. Those visas are issued for workers holding down seasonal, nonagricultural jobs.
Sebasco Harbor Resort, in Phippsburg, Maine, hired a half-dozen Puerto Ricans last summer. This summer it is doubling the number and would like to hire even more.
In this May 25, 2018, photo, Louis Morales, a maintenance worker at Sebasco Harbor Resort, pauses during his work in Phippsburg, Maine. Morales is one of a dozen Puerto Rican workers hired by the resort to do landscaping, housekeeping and kitchen work. Maine's unemployment rate is under 3 percent, making it tough for many employers to find local people to fill jobs. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
The Associated Press
In this May 25, 2018, photo, Angel Gonzalez shovels leaves into a trailer at Sebasco Harbor Resort in Phippsburg, Maine. Gonzalez is one of several Puerto Rican workers hired by resort to do landscaping, housekeeping and kitchen work. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
The Associated Press
In this May 25, 2018, photo, Puerto Rican Anthony Rios, left, walks with Bob Smith, owner of Sebasco Harbor Resort in Phippsburg, Maine. Smith hired a half-dozen Puerto Ricans last summer for housekeeping, landscaping and kitchen work, providing relief to his overworked staff. This summer he is doubling the number, and he would like to hire even more. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
The Associated Press
In this May 25, 2018, photo, Bob Smith, owner of Sebasco Harbor Resort, surveys his property in Phippsburg, Maine. Smith has hired a dozen seasonal workers from Puerto Rico and says he'd like to hire even more. With Maine's unemployment rate under 3 percent, Smith said he can't find enough local people to fill the jobs. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
The Associated Press