On September 12, 2014, USCIS provided an update of the amount of cap-subject H-2B visas received and approved by the federal agency for the second half of fiscal year 2014. According to USCIS, a total of 26,139 beneficiaries have been approved for the second half of fiscal year 2014, with an additional 229 petitions pending. USCIS has begun accepting applications for the first half of Fiscal Year 2015; 5,014 beneficiaries have been approved, and 1,322 petitions are currently pending.
Congressionally-based legislation limits the amount of H-2B visas provided per fiscal year to a total of 66,000, with 33,000 allocated for employment for the first half of the fiscal year and 33,000 allocated for employment for the second half of the fiscal year. Unused numbers from the first half of the fiscal year are made available for use by employers seeking H-2B workers during the second half of the year.
