nonimmigrant visas

June 15, 2016

USCIS Teleconference – H-2A and H-2B Nonimmigrant Visa Classifications – 6/29/16

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will be holding a teleconference on Wednesday, June 29, 2016 between 2:00 to 3:30pm (Eastern). The subject of the event will be “H-2A and H-2B nonimmigrant visa classifications”. The first half will focus on the H-2A classification (temporary agricultural workers) and the second half will focus on the H-2B classification (temporary non-agricultural workers).

The teleconference will include a brief overview of each program and summary of recent updates. USCIS officials will answer the non-case specific questions submitted in advance and if time permits, a live Q&A session. If you would like to submit questions before the teleconference, please email USCISIGAOutreach@uscis.dhs.gov by Friday, June 10, at 5pm (Eastern). Please put “H-2 Teleconference” in the subject line, and specify if your question is related to H-2A or H-2B.

Event Information:

May 24, 2016

USCIS Reaches H-2B Cap for FY 2016

by Kellie N. Lego

On Thursday, May 12, 2016, USCIS announced that it has received a sufficient number of H-2B petitions to reach the congressionally mandated cap (66,000) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2016. May 12, 2016 is now the “final receipt date” for cap-subject H-2B worker requesting employment start dates before October 1, 2016. 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 FY2016.

USCIS will reject new H-2B petitions that were received after May 12, 2016 and that request an employment start date before October 1, 2016, but there are some exceptions!

The exceptions are listed below:

May 16, 2016

H-2B Cap Count UPDATE – 5/9/16

by Kellie N. Lego

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 2016 (October 1 – March 31) is 33,000. As of the last count (3/15/16) this first half cap count has been reached. Please read USCIS update below!

The H-2B cap limit for second half of FY 2016 (April 1 – September 30) is 33,000. As of the last count (5/9/16); 31,637 beneficiaries have been approved and 4,513 are pending for a total of 36,150.

May 5, 2016

H-2B Cap Count UPDATE – 5/2/16

by Kellie N. Lego

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 2016 (October 1 – March 31) is 33,000. As of the last count (3/15/16) this first half cap count has been reached. Please read USCIS update below!

The H-2B cap limit for second half of FY 2016 (April 1 – September 30) is 33,000. As of the last count (5/2/16); 26,426 beneficiaries have been approved and 6,194 are pending for a total of 32,620.

April 20, 2016

H-2B Cap Count UPDATE – 4/18/16

by Kellie N. Lego

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 2016 (October 1 – March 31) is 33,000. As of the last count (3/15/16) this first half cap count has been reached. Please read USCIS update below!

The H-2B cap limit for second half of FY 2016 (April 1 – September 30) is 33,000. As of the last count (4/18/16); 19,021 beneficiaries have been approved and 6,346 are pending for a total of 25,367.

April 12, 2016

H-2B Cap Count UPDATE (end 1st half) – 3/31/16

by Kellie N. Lego

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 2016 (October 1 – March 31) is 33,000. As of the last count (3/15/16) this first half cap count has been reached. Please read USCIS update below!

The H-2B cap limit for second half of FY 2016 (April 1 – September 30) is 33,000. As of the last count (3/31/16); 6,932 beneficiaries have been approved and 7,066 are pending for a total of 13,998.

March 29, 2016

H-2B Cap Count UPDATE – 3/24/16

by Kellie N. Lego

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 2016 (October 1 – March 31) is 33,000. As of the last count (3/15/16) this first half cap count has been reached. Please read USCIS update below!

The H-2B cap limit for second half of FY 2016 (April 1 – September 30) is 33,000. As of the last count (3/24/16); 4,065 beneficiaries have been approved and 5,594 are pending for a total of 9,659.

March 24, 2016

USCIS Reaches the H-2B Cap for the First Half of Fiscal Year 2016

by Kellie N. Lego

On Monday, March 21, 2016, USCIS announced that it has received a sufficient number of H-2B petitions to reach the congressionally mandated cap (33,000) for the first half of FY 2016. March 15, 2016 is now the “final receipt date” for cap-subject H-2B worker requesting employment start dates before April 1, 2016. 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 first half of FY2016.

USCIS will reject new H-2B petitions that were received after March 15, 2016 and that request an employment start date before April 1, 2016, but there are some exceptions!

The exceptions are listed below:

March 15, 2016

H-2B Cap Count UPDATE – 3/9/16

by Kellie N. Lego

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 2016 (October 1 – March 31) is 33,000. As of the last count (3/9/16); 33,478 beneficiaries have been approved and 7,456 are pending for a total of 38,934.

The H-2B cap limit for second half of FY 2016 (April 1 – September 30) is 33,000*. As of the last count (3/9/16); 524 beneficiaries have been approved and 2,059 are pending for a total of 2,583.

March 1, 2016

H-2B Cap Count UPDATE – 2/22/16

by Kellie N. Lego

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 2016 (October 1 – March 31) is 33,000. As of the last count (2/22/16); 26,384 beneficiaries have been approved and 10,304 are pending for a total of 36,688.

The H-2B cap limit for second half of FY 2016 (April 1 – September 30) is 33,000*. As of the last count (2/22/16); 0 beneficiaries have been approved and 334 are pending for a total of 334.