United States | H-2B visa and PWD processing times reflecting April and May

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 June 4, a total of 9,825 cases were issued final decisions. Certified positions for this period were allocated for 133,804 workers.

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

As of April 30, the National Prevailing Wage Center is processing PWD requests filed in April 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 March and April. The number of remaining requests for H-2B visa PWD applications received in March 2026 was 87 and in April 2026 was 2,200.

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 Withdrawn and voided requests are excluded from the total, which may cause the numbers for previous months to fluctuate.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:

On May 15, 2026, the OFLC announced it published an updated list of the names of foreign labor recruiters for the H-2B program as required by 20 CFR 655.9(c). The H-2B Foreign Labor Recruiter List includes only those names and locations associated with H-2B applications that were processed or issued a final decision from Oct. 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026. The list can be viewed 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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