U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has said it has reached the congressionally-mandated cap on H-2B visas for the second half of fiscal year (FY) 2025 (ending Sept. 30, 2025), and has announced conditions and filing dates for supplemental H-2B visas for the remainder of FY 2025.
The H-2B visa program enables temporary seasonal (unskilled, nonagricultural) workers to come to the United States to work in industries needing extra help during certain seasons.
Currently, Congress has set the H-2B cap at 66,000 per fiscal year: 33,000 for workers who begin employment in the first half of the fiscal year (Oct. 1 – March 31); and 33,000, plus any unused numbers from the first half of the fiscal year, for workers who begin employment in the second half of the fiscal year (April 1 – Sept. 30).
Cap-subject H-2B petition deadline has passed. March 5, 2025, was the final receipt date for new cap-subject H-2B worker petitions requesting an employment start date on or after April 1, 2025, and before Oct. 1, 2025. USCIS said it will reject new cap-subject H-2B petitions received after March 5, 2025, that request an employment start date on or after April 1, 2025, and before Oct. 1, 2025.
Supplemental H-2B visa availability. USCIS has published information about supplemental visas that are available, who can petition for these and the relevant filing dates. You can find those details at USCIS’ Temporary Increase in H-2B Nonimmigrant Visas for FY 2025 page.
The American Rental Association (ARA) is a member of the H-2B Visa Coalition. As a member of its steering committee, ARA has immediate access to developments in this area as well as helps to craft policy to promote a more robust program for ARA members using H-2B visas.
For more information on the H-2B visa cap, visit USCIS’s Cap Count for H-2B Nonimmigrants page.
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