Home/Work visas/H-2B/Cap Reached for Second Allocation of Returning Worker H-2B Visas for Fiscal Year 2026

Cap Reached for Second Allocation of Returning Worker H-2B Visas for Fiscal Year 2026

CategoriesH-2B
Signals
Neutral sentiment
Medium impact
USCIS
Lottery / selection
Summary

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

USCIS has reached the cap for the second allocation of H-2B visas for fiscal year 2026, with 27,736 visas reserved for returning workers whose employment starts April 1–30, 2026. This allocation filled under the H-2B supplemental cap temporary final rule. Employers seeking H-2B workers for that period should prepare alternative plans, as no more visas are available from this pool.
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 27,736 H-2B visas made available for the second allocation of returning workers for fiscal year 2026 with start dates from April 1 to April 30, 2026, under the H-2B supplemental cap temporary final rule (fiscal year 2026 TFR).

Related H-2B updates
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
Cap Reached for First Allocation of Returning Worker H-2B Visas FY 2026
USCIS · Feb 13
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
Visa bulletin
May 2026 →

Final action, filing & DV tables

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H-2B

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

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