United States: Quota for First of Three Supplemental H-2B Visa Allocations Is Reached for FY 2026
February 18, 2026
USCIS has received enough petitions to reach the 18,490 cap for first allocation of supplemental H-2B visas for returning workers with employment start dates from January 1 to March 31, 2026, according to an agency announcement. February 6 was the final receipt date for petitions requesting a supplemental H-2B visa number under this allocation.
Because more petitions were filed than needed to meet the first allocation of visas for returning H-2B workers, USCIS used a computerized lottery to select the winning petitions received between February 2 through February 6, 2026, the first five days of the filing period.
The additional visas are the result of DHS and DOL exercising their authority to issue up to 64,716 H-2B visas for a fiscal year to supplement the 66,000 H-2B visas available by statute. A second allocation of 27,736 H-2B visas will be available for returning H-2B workers with a start date of between April 1 and April 30, 2026. A third allocation of 18,490 visas will be available for workers, regardless of whether they are returning workers, with employment start dates between May 1 and September 30, 2026.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.
Explore more at Fragomen
Media mentions
Fragomen and SICPA have launched a global joint venture to develop an end-to-end digital identity platform that enables secure identity verification, document authentication and verifiable credential management.
Media mentions
Senior Counsel Mitch Wexler discusses how potential changes to H-1B visas, employment-based green cards and OPT could impact employers’ workforce planning and compliance obligations.
Media mentions
In a Leaders in Motion interview with World Business Travel Forum, Partner Ali Haider and Nomadic CEO Carsten Østberg discuss recent travel and mobility developments across the Middle East and practical considerations for employers managing cross-border talent in the region.
Media mentions
Partner Rachel Beardsley explains how new DHS guidance clarifies that dairy employers may use the H-2A program when they can demonstrate a temporary or seasonal labor need.
Fragomen news
Fragomen and SICPA announced the formation of a global joint venture to advance next-generation digital identity solutions for governments, enterprises and individuals.
Blog post
Senior Associate Kyle Sommer and Adam Schwartz, Director in the Global Mobility practice at Andersen, discuss how immigration and tax considerations intersect across common US immigration classifications and why early coordination can help travelers, employers and advisors reduce compliance risks and make more informed mobility decisions.
Podcast
In this episode of The Immigration Conversation, Senior Associates Sarah Melnick and Kimberly Elmazi discuss key considerations for foreign nationals planning international summer travel, including visa appointment planning, document preparation, consular interviews, port-of-entry procedures and I-94 review.
Podcast
UK Government Affairs Strategy Director Shuyeb Muquit is joined by Jonathan Thomas of the Social Market Foundation, Dr. Ben Brindle of the Migration Observatory, University of Oxford and Steve McCauley of the University of Cambridge to discuss what a new UK Prime Minister could mean for immigration policy, employers and workforce mobility.
Fragomen news
Media mentions
Partner Rick Lamanna said Canada’s expanded citizenship rules could make hundreds of thousands if not millions of people eligible while moving against a global trend of tighter citizenship laws.
Media mentions
Senior Counsel Dr. Anna Boucher shares insights on the factors influencing Australia's migration trends.
Media mentions
Fragomen and SICPA have launched a global joint venture to develop an end-to-end digital identity platform that enables secure identity verification, document authentication and verifiable credential management.
Media mentions
Senior Counsel Mitch Wexler discusses how potential changes to H-1B visas, employment-based green cards and OPT could impact employers’ workforce planning and compliance obligations.
Media mentions
In a Leaders in Motion interview with World Business Travel Forum, Partner Ali Haider and Nomadic CEO Carsten Østberg discuss recent travel and mobility developments across the Middle East and practical considerations for employers managing cross-border talent in the region.
Media mentions
Partner Rachel Beardsley explains how new DHS guidance clarifies that dairy employers may use the H-2A program when they can demonstrate a temporary or seasonal labor need.
Fragomen news
Fragomen and SICPA announced the formation of a global joint venture to advance next-generation digital identity solutions for governments, enterprises and individuals.
Blog post
Senior Associate Kyle Sommer and Adam Schwartz, Director in the Global Mobility practice at Andersen, discuss how immigration and tax considerations intersect across common US immigration classifications and why early coordination can help travelers, employers and advisors reduce compliance risks and make more informed mobility decisions.
Podcast
In this episode of The Immigration Conversation, Senior Associates Sarah Melnick and Kimberly Elmazi discuss key considerations for foreign nationals planning international summer travel, including visa appointment planning, document preparation, consular interviews, port-of-entry procedures and I-94 review.
Podcast
UK Government Affairs Strategy Director Shuyeb Muquit is joined by Jonathan Thomas of the Social Market Foundation, Dr. Ben Brindle of the Migration Observatory, University of Oxford and Steve McCauley of the University of Cambridge to discuss what a new UK Prime Minister could mean for immigration policy, employers and workforce mobility.
Fragomen news
Media mentions
Partner Rick Lamanna said Canada’s expanded citizenship rules could make hundreds of thousands if not millions of people eligible while moving against a global trend of tighter citizenship laws.
Media mentions
Senior Counsel Dr. Anna Boucher shares insights on the factors influencing Australia's migration trends.
