Skip to main content
This is the USCIS preview website. Visit uscis.gov for the official USCIS site.
USCIS Response to Coronavirus (COVID-19)
U.S. flag
An official website of the United States government    Here's how you know
Español
Multilingual Resources
Official Government Website

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure Website

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( A locked padlock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Seal, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
 
Sign In  
Access USCIS online services.
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
Sign In
Create Account
Horizontal Menu
  • Topics
  • Forms
  • Newsroom
  • Citizenship
  • Green Card
  • Laws
  • Tools
  • Contact us
  • Multilingual Resources
  • Ask Emma
Main navigation
Skip to main content
  • Newsroom
    • All News
      • Fact Sheets
      • News Releases
      • Alerts
    • Media Contacts
    • Video and Photo Gallery
    • Speeches, Statements, Testimony
    • Social Media Directory
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Newsroom
  3. All News
  4. Alerts
  5. Cap Reached for Remaining H-2B Visas for Returning Workers for FY 2021

Cap Reached for Remaining H-2B Visas for Returning Workers for FY 2021

Release Date
08/19/2021

As of Aug. 13, 2021, USCIS has received enough petitions for returning workers to reach the additional 22,000 H-2B visas made available under the FY 2021 H-2B supplemental visa temporary final rule. We will reject and return any cap-subject petitions for H-2B returning workers received after Aug. 13, together with any accompanying fees.

As previously announced, we began accepting additional H-2B petitions for returning workers on July 23 for the few remaining visas initially allocated as part of the Biden-Harris administration’s broader efforts to expand legal pathways for protection and opportunity for workers from the Northern Triangle countries (El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras). USCIS received requests for a significant number of Northern Triangle workers – nearly enough to reach the 6,000 allocation – and the administration remains committed to expanding these legal pathways.

We will continue to accept H-2B petitions for workers that are exempt from the congressionally mandated cap. This includes petitions for:

  • Current H-2B workers in the United States who extend their stay, change employers, or change the terms and conditions of their employment;
  • Fish roe processors, fish roe technicians, or supervisors of fish roe processing; and
  • Workers performing labor or services in the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands or Guam from Nov. 28, 2009, until Dec. 31, 2029.

We are also currently accepting cap-subject petitions for the first half of FY 2022 for employment start dates on or after Oct. 1, 2021 and before April 1, 2022.

Additional information on the FY 2021 supplemental visas is available on the Temporary Increase in Nonimmigrant H-2B Visas for FY 2021 page.

Last Reviewed/Updated:
08/19/2021
Was this page helpful?
0 / 2000
To protect your privacy, please do not include any personal information in your feedback. Review our Privacy Policy.
Return to top
  • Topics
  • Forms
  • Newsroom
  • Citizenship
  • Green Card
  • Laws
  • Tools
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Seal, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Instagram
LinkedIn
Email
Contact USCIS
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Seal

USCIS.gov

An official website of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Important links
  • About USCIS
  • Accessibility
  • Budget and Performance
  • DHS Components
  • Freedom of Information Act
  • No FEAR Act Data
  • Privacy and Legal Disclaimers
  • Site Map
  • Office of the Inspector General
  • The White House
  • USA.gov
Looking for U.S. government information and services?
Visit USA.gov