On May 24, 2013, USCIS provided an update of the amount of cap-subject
H-2B visas received and approved by the federal agency for the first and
second halves of Fiscal Year 2013. According to USCIS, a total of
21,406 beneficiaries have been approved for the second half of Fiscal
Year 2013, with an additional 2,281 petitions pending. A total of 43,089
beneficiaries were approved for the first half of Fiscal Year 2013 with
an additional 174 petitions 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. These
numbers do not, however, carry over from one fiscal year to another.
