On Friday, June 5th, the USCIS reopened the H-2B cap for the second half of the fiscal year (FY) 2015. They originally closed the H-2B cap on Thursday, March 26, 2015 announcing that the cap had been reached. USCIS will accept Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, requesting new H-2B workers with an employment start date between April 1 and September 30, 2015.
USCIS has to estimate when they feel they have received enough requests to fulfill the H-2B visa limit for the fiscal year. After monitoring the issuance of H-2B visas in collaboration with the U.S. Department of State (DOS),, they determined they had received fewer requests than expected and have openly stated that there are available H-2B visas remaining for the second half of FY2015.
For more detailed information about this USCIS news alert, please read, “USCIS to Reopen H-2B Cap for the Second Half of Fiscal Year 2015“.
Source of Information:
USCIS.gov, 6/5/15, News Alert:
USCIS to Reopen H-2B Cap for the Second Half of Fiscal Year 2015
USCIS.gov, 6/5/15, Web Page:
Cap Count for H-2B Nonimmigrants
Related Link:
BaltimoreSun.com, 6/5/15, Article:
Md. seafood businesses stand to benefit from discovery of unused guest worker visas