USCIS Reaches H-2B Cap for Fiscal Year 2015

From USCIS: USCIS has received enough petitions to reach the congressionally mandated H-2B cap for fiscal year (FY) 2015. March 26, 2015 was the final receipt date for new H-2B worker petitions requesting an employment start date before October 1, 2015.

How We Determine the Final Receipt Date

The final receipt date is the date when we received enough cap-subject petitions to reach the statutory limit of 66,000 H-2B worker visas for FY 2015.

What Happens After Reaching the Cap

USCIS will reject new H-2B petitions that:

• Request an employment start date before October 1, 2015; and
• Were received after March 26, 2015.

Please note that employers may file petitions up to 120 days prior to the employment start date. USCIS will reject new H-2B petitions filed more than 120 days prior to the employment start date.

Petitions That Are Exempt from the Cap

USCIS will continue to accept H-2B petitions that are exempt from the congressionally mandated cap. This includes petitions filed on behalf of the following beneficiaries:

• H-2B workers in the United States or abroad who have been previously counted towards the cap in the same fiscal year;
• Current H-2B workers seeking an extension of stay;
• Current H-2B workers seeking a change of employer or terms of employment;
• Fish roe processors, fish roe technicians and/or supervisors of fish roe processing; and
• H-2B workers performing labor or services from November 28, 2009, until December 31, 2019, in the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands and/or Guam.

For more information about the H-2B work program, visit our website at http://www.uscis.gov/h-2b or call the National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283.