Home/Work visas/H-2B/Cap Reached for First Allocation of Returning Worker H-2B Visas FY 2026

Cap Reached for First Allocation of Returning Worker H-2B Visas FY 2026

CategoriesH-2B
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USCIS
Final rule
Summary

Informational only, not legal advice. Confirm deadlines on the official notice or with a qualified professional.

The H-2B visa cap for returning workers in the first allocation of fiscal year 2026 (January–March start dates) has been reached, with 18,490 visas now allocated. USCIS received enough petitions to hit the cap under the supplemental cap temporary final rule. Employers seeking to sponsor H-2B workers for this period should prepare accordingly or consider alternative timelines.
Full official notice
USCIS

Authoritative text and filing details are always on the publisher’s site.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services received enough petitions to reach the cap for the additional 18,490 H-2B visas made available for the first allocation of returning workers of fiscal year 2026 with start dates from Jan. 1 to March 31, 2026, under the H-2B supplemental cap temporary final rule (FY 2026 TFR).

Related H-2B updates
Cap Reached for Second Allocation of Returning Worker H-2B Visas for Fiscal Year 2026
USCIS · Apr 29
USCIS Reaches H-2B Cap for Second Half of FY 2026 and Filing Dates Now Available for Supplemental Visa Allocations
USCIS · Mar 20
Agency Information Collection Activities for H-2B Foreign Labor Certification Program; Comment Request
Fed. Register · Mar 17
Exercise of Time-Limited Authority To Increase the Fiscal Year 2026 Numerical Limitation for the H-2B Temporary Nonagricultural Worker Program
Fed. Register · Feb 3
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H-2B

Temporary non-agricultural (H-2B) workers: returning worker provisions and caps.

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