Articles Posted in H-2B visas

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 2021. February 12, 2021 is now the “final receipt date” for cap-subject H-2B worker requesting employment start dates before October 1st. 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 FY2021, for a total of 66,000 for the year.

USCIS will reject new H-2B petitions that were received after February 12, 2021 and that request an employment start date before October 1, 2021, but there are some exceptions!

The exceptions are listed below:

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that they have published a notice in the Federal Register listing the countries that are eligible for the H-2A and H-2B temporary immigration programs for 2021!

For 2021, DHS working with the Department of State (DOS) have agreed to:

  • Add the Philippines to the list of countries eligible to participate in the H-2B program;

USCIS Reaches H-2B Cap for First Half of FY 2021

On Wednesday, November 18, 2020, USCIS announced that it has reached the H-2B cap for the first half of fiscal year 2020. November 16, 2020 is now the “final receipt date” for cap-subject H-2B worker requesting employment start dates before April 1, 2021. The “final receipt date” is the date on which USCIS determined that it has received enough cap-subject petitions to reach the limit of H-2B workers for the first half FY2021. USCIS continues to accept petitions that are exempt from the congressionally mandated H-2B cap.

The exceptions are listed below:

H-2B Cap Count UPDATE – 11/9/20

The H-2B non-agricultural temporary worker program allows U.S. employers to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary non-agricultural jobs. There is a cap limit of 33,000 for the first half of the fiscal year and 33,000 for the second half for a total of 66,000 per year. If the cap is not reached during the first half of the fiscal year, the extra numbers are then made available for the second half.

The H-2B cap limit for first half of FY 2021 (October 1 – March 31) is 33,000. As of the last count (11/9/20); 27,455 beneficiaries have been approved and 5,455 are pending for a total of 32,910.

H-2B Cap Count UPDATE – 11/5/20

The H-2B non-agricultural temporary worker program allows U.S. employers to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary non-agricultural jobs. There is a cap limit of 33,000 for the first half of the fiscal year and 33,000 for the second half for a total of 66,000 per year. If the cap is not reached during the first half of the fiscal year, the extra numbers are then made available for the second half.

The H-2B cap limit for first half of FY 2021 (October 1 – March 31) is 33,000. As of the last count (11/5/20); 24,181 beneficiaries have been approved and 5,558 are pending for a total of 29,739.

H-2B Cap Count UPDATE – 10/26/20

The H-2B non-agricultural temporary worker program allows U.S. employers to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary non-agricultural jobs. There is a cap limit of 33,000 for the first half of the fiscal year and 33,000 for the second half for a total of 66,000 per year. If the cap is not reached during the first half of the fiscal year, the extra numbers are then made available for the second half.

The H-2B cap limit for first half of FY 2021 (October 1 – March 31) is 33,000. As of the last count (10/26/20); 20,326 beneficiaries have been approved and 2,845 are pending for a total of 23,171.

H-2B Cap Count UPDATE – 10/13/20

The H-2B non-agricultural temporary worker program allows U.S. employers to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary non-agricultural jobs. There is a cap limit of 33,000 for the first half of the fiscal year and 33,000 for the second half for a total of 66,000 per year. If the cap is not reached during the first half of the fiscal year, the extra numbers are then made available for the second half.

The H-2B cap limit for first half of FY 2021 (October 1 – March 31) is 33,000. As of the last count (10/13/20); 18,273 beneficiaries have been approved and 2,152 are pending for a total of 20,425.

The H-2B non-agricultural temporary worker program allows U.S. employers to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary non-agricultural jobs. There is a cap limit of 33,000 for the first half of the fiscal year and 33,000 for the second half for a total of 66,000 per year. If the cap is not reached during the first half of the fiscal year, the extra numbers are then made available for the second half.

The H-2B cap limit for first half of FY 2021 (October 1 – March 31) is 33,000. As of the last count (10/1/20); 16,791 beneficiaries have been approved and 1,721 are pending for a total of 18,512.


The H-2B cap limit for second half of FY 2021 (April 1 – September 30) is 33,000. As of the last count (10/1/20); 0 beneficiaries have been approved and 0 are pending for a total of 0.

The H-2B non-agricultural temporary worker program allows U.S. employers to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary non-agricultural jobs. There is a cap limit of 33,000 for the first half of the fiscal year and 33,000 for the second half for a total of 66,000 per year. If the cap is not reached during the first half of the fiscal year, the extra numbers are then made available for the second half.

The H-2B cap limit for first half of FY 2021 (October 1 – March 31) is 33,000. As of the last count (9/14/20); 10,424 beneficiaries have been approved and 3,418 are pending for a total of 13,842.


The H-2B cap limit for second half of FY 2021 (April 1 – September 30) is 33,000. As of the last count (9/14/20); 0 beneficiaries have been approved and 0 are pending for a total of 0.

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 2020. February 18, 2020 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 18, 2020 and that request an employment start date before October 1, 2020, but there are some exceptions!

The exceptions are listed below:

Contact Information