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USCIS Reaches H-2B Visa Cap for First Half of FY2027
The United States has a program that lets companies hire foreign workers for temporary, nonfarm jobs.
This program is called H-2B.
There is a limit on how many workers can receive these visas each year.
The limit is 66,000 workers, split between two parts of the year.
USCIS said the first part of the fiscal year 2027 limit was filled on September 4, 2026.
Employers could not submit new regular petitions after that date for jobs beginning before April 1, 2027.
Some workers, such as certain people extending their stay or changing employers, may not count toward the limit.
H-2B workers can generally stay for up to three years before leaving the United States for three months.
USCIS said the H-2B cap for the first half of fiscal year 2027 was reached on September 4, 2026.
The first half of FY2027 runs from October 1, 2026, through March 31, 2027.
September 4 was the final receipt date for new cap-subject petitions seeking employment before April 1, 2027.
Petitions received after that date for such employment start dates will be rejected under the regular statutory allocation.
The H-2B program allows U.S. companies to hire foreign workers for temporary nonagricultural jobs, subject to a 66,000 annual cap.
- Who
- The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), U.S. employers, and prospective H-2B foreign workers.
- What
- USCIS announced that the H-2B visa cap for the first half of fiscal year 2027 had been reached.
- Where
- The United States.
- When
- The cap was reached on September 4, 2026, and USCIS announced it on September 11, 2026.
- Why
- The congressionally established limit for H-2B workers beginning employment during the first half of FY2027 was filled.
Key facts
- Annual H-2B cap
- 66,000 visas per fiscal year.
- First-half allocation
- 33,000 workers beginning employment from October 1 through March 31.
- Second-half allocation
- 33,000 workers beginning employment from April 1 through September 30.
- FY2027 first-half period
- October 1, 2026, through March 31, 2027.
- Final receipt date
- September 4, 2026, for new cap-subject petitions requesting employment before April 1, 2027.
- Maximum stay
- H-2B workers may remain for up to three years.
- Cap exemptions
- Certain workers extending their stay, changing employers or employment terms, or already counted during the fiscal year are generally exempt; H-4 spouses and children also do not count.
Sources
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