FY26 H-2B Visa Cap Filled; US Expands Program with 46K Extra Visas
Table of Content
Key Points
- The US has reached the regular H-2B visa cap for the second half of FY2026.
- March 10, 2026, was the final date for new cap-subject petitions for jobs starting between April 1 and September 30.
- The H-2B visa annual limit remains 66,000 split equally between the first and second halves of the fiscal year.
- To address seasonal labor shortages, the US has made up to 64,716 supplemental H-2B visas available for FY2026.
- Out of these 46,226 visas are now open for second-half hiring needs.
- 27,736 extra visas are for April start dates and are limited to returning workers.
- Another 18,490 visas will be available for May to September jobs with wider eligibility.
The United States has reached its limit for H-2B visas for the rest of the year 2026. This happened sooner than people thought it would. Now employers can not send in applications for standard H-2B visas for temporary non-agricultural jobs starting between April 1 and September 30 this year.
The H-2B visa allows US employers to hire foreign workers for temporary roles in sectors such as hospitality, tourism, landscaping, seafood processing, and construction support. Each year, the visa category has a fixed cap of 66,000 slots, with 33,000 reserved for each half of the fiscal year.
For the summer hiring season demand has again outpaced supply. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services confirmed that March 10 2026 was the day it accepted new job petitions that are subject to a cap for the second half of the year. Any petitions filed after that date under the quota will likely be rejected.
To ease pressure on businesses facing seasonal staff shortages the US government had already announced an increase of up to 64,716 extra H-2B visas, for the fiscal year 2026. The extra allocation is aimed at helping industries that depend on short-term workers during peak seasons.
Of this expanded pool, 46,226 supplemental visas are now available for the second half of the fiscal year. These extra slots are being released in two parts. The first set includes 27,736 visas for jobs starting between April 1 and April 30. However, these are only for returning workers i.e. people who already held H-2B status in one of the last three fiscal years. Employers can file for this batch between March 25 and April 23.
The second set has 18,490 visas for jobs that start between May 1 and September 30. This batch of H-2B visas is different from the April allocation. It is open to workers and you do not need to have had H-2B status before. Employers can start filing for these H-2B visas from April 24. The last day to file for these H-2B visas is September 15 unless all the H-2B visas are taken before that.
For US employers this change brings some help during the summer. For workers especially those looking for short-term jobs in hospitality and tourism the extra quota might create more chances.. With tight deadlines and high demand getting ready early is crucial.
Overall, even though the regular H-2B limit has already been reached, the extra visa allocation gives both employers and workers another chance to find jobs in the US this year.