The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it has received enough applications to meet the H-2B visa cap for the second half of fiscal year 2026.
This means no new regular applications will be accepted for jobs starting between April 1 and September 30, 2026.
The final date to submit these applications was March 10, 2026.
Any petitions received after this date will be rejected.
Understanding the H-2B Visa Limit
The H-2B visa program allows U.S. companies to hire foreign workers for temporary non-agricultural jobs.
Each year, the total visa limit is 66,000, divided into:
33,000 visas for jobs from October 1 to March 31
33,000 visas for jobs from April 1 to September 30
If some visas from the first half are unused, they can be used in the second half.
However, unused visas do not carry forward to the next year.
Extra 64,716 Visas Announced
To meet demand, the government has also announced 64,716 additional H-2B visas for FY 2026.
Here’s how they are divided:
46,226 visas reserved for returning workers (those who had H-2B status in the last 3 years)
18,490 visas open to others, mainly for jobs starting between May 1 and September 30, 2026
These extra visas are meant to help employers facing seasonal or late demand for workers.
Key Rules for Workers
The H-2B visa allows workers to stay in the U.S. for up to three years.
After completing this period, they must:
Leave the U.S.
Stay outside the country for at least three months before applying again
What This Means for Applicants
With the regular cap already reached, applicants now have limited options and may need to rely on the additional visa allocations.
For employers, it’s important to plan early and apply on time, as demand for these visas remains very high every year.
