Each fiscal year, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services accepts a certain number of petitions for individuals who wish to come to the United States and work in temporary non-agricultural jobs. Congress set the cap at 66,000 H-2B petitions each fiscal year, which is evenly split between the first half of the fiscal year and the second. Yesterday, the United States Department of Labor made an announcement that due to an “unprecedented number” of H-2B applications, the release of temporary labor certifications will be put on hold until February 20, 2018. The issue that arises because of the increased number of applications is that there will likely be more petitions for H-2B visas submitted but not enough actual visas available to keep up with the demand. The second half of the fiscal year would allow approved H-2B workers to begin employment between April 1, 2018, and September 30, 2018.
In an effort to fairly handle the problem, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services is taking measures to make sure the cap is not exceeded but the visas are distributed fairly, including to select petitions for approval randomly.
If you have any questions or concerns about a pending H-2B visa petition, it is important to speak with an experienced immigration law attorney that can guide you in the correct direction.
John Sesini is an experienced immigration attorney with offices in Green Bay and Milwaukee Wisconsin. If you have any questions regarding immigration law matters, please contact the Sesini Law Group, S.C. and obtain your initial consultation.