United States | H-2B visa lottery update for Oct. 1 work start date

The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) published the randomized assignment groups for H-2B visa applications submitted July 3–5, 2025, with a start date of Oct. 1, 2025.

Key Points:

• The OFLC completed the randomization and assignment process on July 6 for all 2,421 H-2B applications received during the July 3–5 filing window.
• Assignment Group A includes 1,794 cases and contains enough worker positions to meet the statutory cap of 33,000 visas for the first half of fiscal year 2026.
• Assignment Group B includes 627 cases and a third group was created for the remaining applications. Nearly 47,500 positions were requested.
• The OFLC sent written notices to all employers and their authorized representatives informing them of the assignment group to which their application(s) had been allocated.
• Employers whose applications fall outside Group A may still be considered if additional visas become available or if applications in Group A are denied or withdrawn.
• The assignment groups can be viewed here.

Additional Information: The H-2B visa program allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers for temporary nonagricultural jobs when not enough U.S. workers are available.

The randomization process is critical for employers to understand the status of their filings and prepare for the next stages, such as responding to Notices of Deficiency or Acceptance. Each application is assigned a unique number and placed into one of three assignment groups to help ensure fairness and transparency in how applications are reviewed.

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

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