On September 12, 2014, USCIS released the updated “Cap Count” for the H-2B Non-immigrant Visa. The H-2B non-agricultural temporary worker program allows U.S. employers to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary non-agricultural jobs. Currently, the H-2B cap set by Congress is 66,000 per fiscal year, with 33,000 to be allocated for employment beginning in the 1st half of the fiscal year (October 1 – March 31) and 33,000 to be allocated for employment beginning in the 2nd half of the fiscal year (April 1 – September 30). Additionally, any unused numbers from the first half of the fiscal year will be made available for use by employers seeking to hire H-2B workers during the second half of the fiscal year. However, it is important to note that there is no “carry over” of unused H-2B numbers from one fiscal year to the next.
As of September 12, 2014, USCIS has approved 26,193 H-2B beneficiaries for the second half of FY2014, while 229 remain pending. Further, according to the same report, USCIS has approved 5,014 H-2B beneficiaries for the first half of FY2015, while 1,322 remain pending.