On April 11, 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 17,382
beneficiaries have been approved for the second half of fiscal year
2014, with an additional 3,207 petitions pending. USCIS reached the H-2B
cap for the first half of fiscal year 2014 on March 14, 2014.
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.