64,716 Extra H-2B Work Visas Available for US Employers in 2026
Every year, tens of thousands of temporary workers fill jobs that American businesses say they cannot fill otherwise — in hotels, seafood plants, forests, and theme parks. But the regular H-2B visa cap runs out fast, sometimes before the fiscal year even begins. This year, the US government is releasing up to 64,716 extra H-2B visas for FY 2026, and the window to apply may close quickly.
The US government has announced up to 64,716 additional H-2B visas — temporary work visas for non-agricultural jobs like landscaping, hospitality, and seafood processing — for fiscal year 2026 (October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026). The regular H-2B cap allows only 66,000 workers per year. Demand has far exceeded that limit every year since 2017, and this year is no different: USCIS announced on September 16, 2025 that the cap for the first half of FY 2026 was already full.
Who can get these extra visas?
The supplemental visas are split into two groups. The first group — 27,736 visas — is for returning workers who want to start work between April 1, 2026 and April 30, 2026. The second group — 18,490 visas — is for workers with a start date of May 1, 2026 or later. A "returning worker" is someone who held H-2B status in fiscal year 2023, 2024, or 2025. Employers must show they are suffering serious financial harm — or will suffer it soon — without these workers. US businesses in landscaping, entertainment, food services, construction, forestry, and manufacturing make up the vast majority of H-2B users.
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Demand for H-2B workers keeps growing. For the second half of FY 2026 alone, the Department of Labor received 10,062 applications covering 162,603 worker positions with an April 1, 2026 start date. That is far more than the 33,300 visas normally available for that period. USCIS used a lottery on September 12, 2025 to randomly select petitions when the first-half cap was exceeded. The government has released supplemental H-2B visas every year since 2017 — except 2020, when the COVID-19 national emergency halted the program.
What to do
- If you are an employer: File Form I-129 (the petition for a nonimmigrant worker) with USCIS as soon as possible. You must include a Temporary Labor Certification (Form ETA-9142B) approved by the Department of Labor. The employment start date on your petition must match the date on the labor certification exactly.
- If you are a worker already in the US: Be aware that workers approved under these supplemental visas cannot change to H-2B status from inside the US. You must get your H-2B visa at a US embassy or consulate abroad and then enter the US at a port of entry.
- If you are a returning worker: Ask your employer to confirm that your previous H-2B employment in FY 2023, 2024, or 2025 is documented. This is required to qualify for the returning worker portion of the supplemental cap.
- Consider premium processing: Premium processing (filed using Form I-907) allows USCIS to process your petition faster for an additional fee. Lawyers recommend this option if your employer's work season starts soon and delays could cause financial harm.
Fishkin Law Firm, New York
Employers seeking supplemental H-2B visas must document irreparable harm — meaning they need to show concrete financial damage if they cannot get these workers, not just inconvenience. Returning workers should verify their prior H-2B status covered FY 2023, 2024, or 2025, because that is the specific eligibility window for this supplemental cap. Because petitions are subject to lottery if the cap fills quickly, filing on the earliest possible date matters enormously — consult an immigration attorney to make sure your paperwork is complete before you submit.