United States | Reminder: H-2B filing window July 3–5

For H-2B Applications for Temporary Employment Certification requesting a work start date of Oct. 1, 2026, the filing window is July 3–5.

This three-day period is the earliest an employer may file an application for an Oct. 1, 2026, start date (which is the first day of the semiannual visa allotment for the first half of fiscal year 2027).

Additional information: According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, “There is a statutory numerical limit, or ‘cap,’ on the total number of aliens who may receive an H-2B visa, or otherwise be granted H-2B status, during a fiscal year. Currently, Congress has set the H-2B cap at 66,000 per fiscal year, with 33,000 for workers who begin employment in the first half of the fiscal year (Oct. 1–March 31) and 33,000 for workers who begin employment in the second half of the fiscal year (April 1–Sept. 30). Any unused numbers from the first half of the fiscal year will be available for employers seeking to hire H-2B workers during the second half of the fiscal year.”

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

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