Last week, USCIS provided updated numbers regarding the H2B cap for the
second half of Fiscal Year 2011. According to USCIS, as of October 8,
the federal agency has received 9,278 petitions toward the 33,000 H-2B
cap for the first half of the fiscal year. Another 33,000 H-2B visas
will be available for the second half of the fiscal year as well. The
current count from USCIS includes 7,875 approved visas and 1,403
petitions that are currently pending.
The H-2B visa program
enables U.S, employers to bring foreign nationals to the U.S. to fill
temporary non-agricultural positions. Congress has set an annual limit
of 66,000 (allocated twice a year) available H-2B visas per year.
Unused numbers from the first half of the year will be allocated to the
second half of the year; however, any unused numbers from FY 2011 will
not roll over into FY 2012.
