US businesses hit the statutory cap on H-2B seasonal work visas for fiscal year 2025, Citizenship and Immigration Services announced, clearing the way for release of thousands of supplemental visas.
The agency made the announcement Wednesday, weeks after attorneys said it became apparent that there were no more visas available under the cap. That delay left industries desperate for more workers, like hospitality and landscaping, on edge.
The H-2B program is limited to 66,000 slots each year under the cap. But the Biden administration for three straight years authorized the release of all available visas under a supplemental cap authorized by Congress, including in a regulation in December.
Employers can now petition for more than 32,000 supplemental visas, including 19,000 set aside for returning workers employed through the H-2B program in the past three years. The rest are reserved for workers from designated countries including El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
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