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USCIS Reaches the H-2B Cap for the Second Half of Fiscal Year 2019

 

USCIS announced that it has received a sufficient number of H-2B petitions to reach the congressionally mandated cap (33,000) for the second half of FY 2019. February 19, 2019 is now the “final receipt date” for cap-subject H-2B worker requesting employment start dates before October 1, 2019. The “final receipt date” is the date on which USCIS determined that it has received enough cap-subject petitions to reach the limit of 33,000 H-2B workers for the second half of FY2019, for a total of 66,000 for the year.

USCIS will reject new H-2B petitions that were received after February 19, 2019 and that request an employment start date before October 1, 2019, but there are some exceptions!

The exceptions are listed below:

• Current H-2B workers in the United States petitioning to extend their stay and, if applicable, change the terms of their employment or change their employers;

• Fish roe processors, fish roe technicians, and/or supervisors of fish roe processing; and,

• Workers performing labor or services in the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands and/or Guam from Nov. 28, 2009, until Dec. 31, 2029.

 

For more detailed information about this subject please review the USCIS News Alert, “H-2B Cap Reached for FY 2019“.

 

Source of Information:

USCIS.gov, 2/22/19, News Alert:
H-2B Cap Reached for FY 2019

USCIS.gov, 2/22/19, Web Page:
Cap Count for H-2B Nonimmigrants

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