The Departments of Labor (DOL) and Homeland Security (DHS) have announced that they will make an additional 35,000 H-2B temporary non-agricultural worker visas available for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026, on top of the congressionally mandated 66,000 H-2B visas that are available each fiscal year.
The Departments will focus these additional H-2B visas, nearly a 50 percent reduction in the total supplemental visas released as compared to FY 2023-2025, to support American businesses with seasonal or temporary workforce needs in critical infrastructure sectors of the U.S. economy, such as seafood, forestry, hospitality and tourism, transportation, and manufacturing.
The Departments expect to release these additional H-2B visas, including any eligibility criteria and filing requirements, in the coming weeks through a temporary final rule published in the Federal Register.
The Departments have agreed to release additional H-2B visas for FY 2026 under the time-limited authority enacted by Congress for FY 2026.
Erickson Insights & Analysis
Erickson Immigration Group will continue to monitor developments and share updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or case-specific questions.