United States | H-2B visa and PWD processing times as of April 14

Applications for requested need date for second half of fiscal year (FY) 2026 visa cap (April 1–Sept. 30, 2026):

The Department of Labor (DOL) reported that, as of April 14, a total of 6,343 cases were issued final decisions. Certified positions for this period were allocated for 92,313 workers.

H-2B prevailing wage determination (PWD) processing times:

As of April 9, the National Prevailing Wage Center is processing PWD requests filed in March 2026 and earlier for H-2B OEWS and Non-OEWS cases.

OEWS and Non-OEWS are the sources used for determining the prevailing wage for a job. OEWS stands for Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. Non-OEWS refers to other sources used for prevailing wage determinations, such as collective bargaining agreements or private wage surveys.

DOL has almost completed the processing of remaining requests for H-2B visa PWD applications from December through February. The number of remaining requests for H-2B visa PWD applications received in December 2025 was 1, in January 2026 was 9, in February 2026 was 20 and in March 2026 was 414.

DOL guidance on H-2B processing times:

These dates reflect the month and year in which applications were filed (request date) or submission date of the appeal request for redeterminations or center director review. The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) encourages employers to request a PWD for the H-2B program at least 60 days before the date the determination is needed.

OFLC may be completing the processing of applications filed prior to the month posted for various reasons. Withdrawn and voided requests are excluded from the total, which may cause the numbers for previous months to fluctuate.

Additional information:

The Department of Homeland Security issued a temporary final rule published on Feb. 3, 2026, authorizing up to 64,716 additional H‑2B visas for fiscal year 2026 with phased allocations, an “irreparable‑harm attestation” and certain filing window dates. Further guidance on the temporary increase, including instructions on how to file an H-2B petition for additional visas, can be found here.

Learn more about the BAL attorneys who help employers secure additional H-2B visas. 

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice Group.

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