The U.S. government has decided to grant 35,000 more H-2B visas for non-agricultural workers on a temporary basis in the 2026 Fiscal Year, with the aim of helping American companies that are short of labor in the off-peak times.
The announcement of this decision was made together by labor and security departments of the US. DOL and DHS. The additional visas are a part of 66,000 H-2B visas that Congress annually allots. However, the number of extra visas is almost a 50 percent cut compared to the additional quotas that were issued for FY 2023 to FY 2025.
Whoever gets the extra H-2B visas will be able to hire workers in sectors that are considered most important, such as fish and seafood processing, timber, hotels, restaurants and tourists, transport, and production, where labor demand remains high for temporary workers.
The government announced that it would soon be informing the public through a temporary final ruling in the Federal Register about the detailed eligibility requirements and filing procedures for the upcoming visas.
About the H-2B Visa Program
The H-2B visa program enables American employers to recruit foreign workers for temporary non-agricultural positions. Workers in this visa category may reside in the US for a total of three years at the most. Upon completing the period, they are required to vacate the country for a minimum of three months before reapplying.
H-2B Visa Cap and Allocation
The Congress sanctioned the H-2B program for 66,000 visas per year. Out of these, 33,000 are kept aside for laborers whose employment commences during the period of October 1 to March 31, while the other 33,000 are assigned to the positions starting from April 1 to September 30.
Filing Process and Timeline
The application period for H-2B Applications for Temporary Employment Certification for positions that are to start on or after April 1, 2026, was opened from January 1, 2026. The applications filed for the first three days were subjected to a random selection process that was finished by January 4, 2026.
The OFLC (Office of Foreign Labor Certification) has then allocated the chosen applications to the analysts who work at the National Processing Center. Applications placed in Assignment Group A cover enough worker positions to meet the semi-annual cap of 33,000 visas. Employers have been notified of their application status, while additional groups covering over 10,000 applications and more than 1.6 lakh worker positions have also been published.
The move is expected to provide relief to US industries heavily dependent on seasonal foreign labour while maintaining regulatory oversight of the visa program.
