United States: DHS and DOL Announce Additional 35,000 H-2B Visas for FY 2026
January 5, 2026
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At a glance
- The Departments of Homeland Security and Labor have announced that they will make available an additional 35,000 H-2B visas in Fiscal Year 2026.
- Eligibility criteria and filing requirements are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
A closer look
The Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Labor (DOL) have jointly announced that an additional 35,000 H-2B visas will be made available in fiscal year 2026, to supplement the 66,000 H-2B visas that are normally available each fiscal year. While an increase over the annual base allotment, this represents a nearly 50 percent reduction in the total number of supplemental H-2B visas made available in each of the three previous fiscal years.
According to the agencies’ announcement, DHS and DOL will focus the additional H-2B visas on U.S. businesses with seasonal or temporary workforce needs in critical infrastructure sectors, such as seafood, forestry, hospitality and tourism, transportation, and manufacturing.
What’s next
The Trump Administration is expected to issue a temporary final rule in the coming weeks with eligibility criteria and filing requirements for the supplemental visas. Fragomen is tracking the issue and will provide further information as it becomes available.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.
