Trump Administration AboutFace: Huge Win for H-2B🇺🇸

Big news for seasonal employers and workers! The Trump administration has shifted course on H-2B visa allocations for Fiscal Year 2026 — moving from earlier signals of a limited supplemental release to making the full supplemental amount available that many businesses have been advocating for.

🔹 Initially, the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Labor (DOL) announced they would release only 35,000 additional H-2B visas on top of the base annual cap of 66,000 — a sharp reduction compared to recent years. 

🔹 This cut (nearly 50% below past supplemental levels) prompted widespread response from industry groups urging officials to use the full discretionary authority to release 64,716 H-2B visas for FY 2026 — the maximum supplemental amount under congressional authority. 

✅ Result: The administration has reversed course and will now release the full 64,716 supplemental H-2B visas — a major win for employers and workers in seasonal, hospitality, tourism, seafood processing, and other labor-intensive industries.

This development brings greater certainty to workforce planning and helps fill critical seasonal labor gaps across the nation.

The distribution is as follows:

FY 2026 First Returning Worker Allocation

• Visas Available: 18,490
• Dates of Need (Work Start Dates): January 1, 2026 – March 31, 2026
• Petition Filing Start Date: January 30, 2026

FY 2026 Second Returning Worker Allocation

• Visas Available: 27,736, plus any unused visas from the FY 2026 First Returning Worker Allocation
• Dates of Need (Work Start Dates): April 1, 2026 – April 30, 2026
• Petition Filing Start Date: Employers may file no earlier than 15 days after the second-half statutory cap is reached

FY 2026 Third Allocation

• Visas Available: 18,490, plus any unused visas from the FY 2026 First and Second Allocations
• Dates of Need (Work Start Dates): May 1, 2026 – September 30, 2026
• Petition Filing Start Date: Employers may file no earlier than 45 days after the second-half statutory cap is reached

👏 A big thank-you to our advocacy group SEA Labor and to Rep. Andy Harris for his continued leadership and advocacy on H-2B workforce issues. Progress like this happens when policymakers listen to employers and workers alike.