U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has received enough petitions to fill the H-2B visa allocation for temporary non-agricultural jobs beginning before April 1, 2027.
USCIS identified September 4, 2026, as the final receipt date for new cap-subject petitions requesting employment during the first half of fiscal year 2027. Petitions received after that date for the affected employment period will generally be rejected unless they qualify for an exemption.
Congress normally limits the H-2B program to 66,000 visas annually—33,000 for employment beginning in the first half of the fiscal year and another 33,000 for the second half.
Cap-exempt filings, including certain petitions for workers already counted against the limit, may continue to be accepted.
