U.S. employers that rely on seasonal labor are getting a mid-winter reprieve. In a temporary final rule published in the Federal Register on January 31, the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Labor (DOL) authorized 65,000 additional H-2B visas for the remainder of fiscal year 2026—essentially doubling the statutory cap of 66,000. The supplemental visas will be released in three tranches so that businesses with differing seasonal start-dates (for example, landscaping in the spring and hospitality in the summer) can compete for workers.
To qualify, companies must attest that they will suffer "irreparable harm" without the foreign labor and must remain in good standing with DOL’s wage and hour rules. Forty-six thousand of the new visas are reserved for “returning workers” who held H-2B status in one of the last three fiscal years, minimizing training costs for employers while discouraging fraud. The remaining numbers are set aside for nationals of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Haiti, consistent with the administration’s strategy of channeling legal migration from the Western Hemisphere.
Amid these shifting rules, VisaHQ can serve as a one-stop resource for employers racing the clock. The company’s digital platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) lets HR teams generate compliant visa applications, schedule consular appointments, and track case progress in real time, freeing staff to focus on workforce planning instead of paperwork.
![Trump Administration Doubles FY-2026 H-2B Cap, Adding 65,000 Seasonal Worker Visas]()
Demand for H-2B labor has skyrocketed as unemployment hovers near historic lows and wage pressures persist. Industries such as construction, seafood processing, hospitality and outdoor amusement parks say they cannot meet customer demand without short-term foreign hires. In FY 2025, USCIS received requests for nearly three times the number of visas available. Business groups had been lobbying fiercely for relief before the busy summer season, arguing that labor shortages could derail revenue forecasts and hamper preparations for the 2026 World Cup, which the United States is co-hosting.
The expansion does come with new compliance teeth. Petitioners must file an additional DOL attestation and may be subject to unannounced work-site inspections. DHS also reiterated that it will share petition data with the Social Security Administration and state labor agencies to police wage theft and document fraud. Employers that violate program rules face debarment for up to three years and civil fines of US $16,000 per violation.
For global mobility managers, the message is clear: move fast. Petitions may be filed as early as February 15, and historically the supplemental quota is exhausted within days. Companies should identify eligible returning workers now, ensure prevailing-wage documentation is in order, and coordinate with immigration counsel to hit the opening-day filing window. Organizations that miss out will have to wait until FY 2027—or look to other, often costlier, visa categories to bridge labor gaps.
To qualify, companies must attest that they will suffer "irreparable harm" without the foreign labor and must remain in good standing with DOL’s wage and hour rules. Forty-six thousand of the new visas are reserved for “returning workers” who held H-2B status in one of the last three fiscal years, minimizing training costs for employers while discouraging fraud. The remaining numbers are set aside for nationals of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Haiti, consistent with the administration’s strategy of channeling legal migration from the Western Hemisphere.
Amid these shifting rules, VisaHQ can serve as a one-stop resource for employers racing the clock. The company’s digital platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) lets HR teams generate compliant visa applications, schedule consular appointments, and track case progress in real time, freeing staff to focus on workforce planning instead of paperwork.
Demand for H-2B labor has skyrocketed as unemployment hovers near historic lows and wage pressures persist. Industries such as construction, seafood processing, hospitality and outdoor amusement parks say they cannot meet customer demand without short-term foreign hires. In FY 2025, USCIS received requests for nearly three times the number of visas available. Business groups had been lobbying fiercely for relief before the busy summer season, arguing that labor shortages could derail revenue forecasts and hamper preparations for the 2026 World Cup, which the United States is co-hosting.
The expansion does come with new compliance teeth. Petitioners must file an additional DOL attestation and may be subject to unannounced work-site inspections. DHS also reiterated that it will share petition data with the Social Security Administration and state labor agencies to police wage theft and document fraud. Employers that violate program rules face debarment for up to three years and civil fines of US $16,000 per violation.
For global mobility managers, the message is clear: move fast. Petitions may be filed as early as February 15, and historically the supplemental quota is exhausted within days. Companies should identify eligible returning workers now, ensure prevailing-wage documentation is in order, and coordinate with immigration counsel to hit the opening-day filing window. Organizations that miss out will have to wait until FY 2027—or look to other, often costlier, visa categories to bridge labor gaps.
