DHS, DOL to Issue Additional 35,000 H-2B Visas

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Labor (DOL) announced today the availability of an additional 35,000 H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas during the second half of fiscal year 2022. These visas are for U.S. employers seeking to employ additional workers on or after April 1, 2022, through Sept. 30, 2022.

H-2B visas allow employers to hire foreign workers who come temporarily to the United States and perform temporary non-agricultural services or labor — including construction work — on a one-time, seasonal, peak-load or intermittent basis.

The supplemental H-2B visa allocation consists of 23,500 visas available to returning workers who received an H-2B visa or were otherwise granted H-2B status during one of the last three fiscal years.

The remaining 11,500 visas are reserved for nationals of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Haiti, regardless of whether they are returning workers. The semiannual cap of 33,000 visas for the second half of fiscal year was reached on February 25, 2022.

The joint temporary final rule can be found on the Federal Register website. Employers can begin petitioning on Wednesday, May 18.

For specifics about how to petition for additional visas, please refer to the rule here.