Archive · 7 Jan 2026
US to Cut H-2B Supplemental Visas by 50%
The US government has decided to reduce the number of extra H-2B work visas by half for the year 2026.
These visas are for people who want to come to the US to do seasonal jobs like working in hotels, tourism, or landscaping.
Normally, there are 66,000 of these visas each year, but the government can add more if needed.
For the past three years, they added about 64,716 extra visas.
But now, they are only adding 35,000, which is the lowest since 2021.
This means fewer workers can come to the US to help with seasonal jobs, which might make it harder for businesses in these areas to find enough workers.
The Trump administration announced a 50% reduction in supplemental H-2B visas for fiscal year 2026, down to 35,000 from 64,716 in previous years.
The H-2B program provides visas for temporary, nonagricultural jobs, with a base cap of 66,000 visas per year.
The reduction in visas is expected to impact sectors like hospitality, tourism, landscaping, seafood, forestry, transportation, and manufacturing.
The Department of Labor stated that the visas will support critical infrastructure sectors of the US economy.
Business groups have previously requested the full number of supplemental visas to address labor shortages.
- Who
- US Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Labor (DOL)
- What
- Announcement of 35,000 supplemental H-2B visas for fiscal year 2026
- When
- January 6, 2024
- Where
- United States
- Why
- To support American businesses with seasonal or temporary workforce needs in critical infrastructure sectors
- Base Cap Visas (2026)
- 66,000
- Supplemental Visas (2026)
- 35,000
- Total Visas (2026)
- 101,000
- Supplemental Visas (2023-2025)
- 64,716
- Total Visas (2023-2025)
- 130,716
- Lowest Supplemental Allocation Since
- 2021
- H-2B Program Purpose
- Temporary, nonagricultural jobs
- Annual Cap
- 66,000 visas