H-2B Workers in America 2026
The H-2B visa program has become one of the most closely watched corners of the US immigration system in 2026, as employers in landscaping, hospitality, seafood processing, and construction lean on it harder than ever to fill seasonal jobs American workers aren’t taking. Unlike its higher-profile cousin the H-1B, the H-2B program targets non-agricultural temporary work — the kind tied to a specific season, a one-time project, or a short-term spike in demand — and it operates under a statutory cap that Congress set decades ago and has never updated to match today’s labor market. That mismatch between fixed supply and rising demand is the central tension running through nearly every H-2B statistic this year.
2026 has already brought major shifts to how the program runs: a doubled visa allotment, a new filing window for next year’s cap, tightened screening rules for certain occupations, and mounting scrutiny over how H-2B wages compare with what US workers doing the same jobs actually earn. This report pulls together the latest verified numbers on H-2B salaries, top employers, job categories, and the cap system shaping the program in 2026, drawing on official data from USCIS, the Department of Labor, and independent labor market research.
Interesting Facts About H-2B Workers in the US 2026
H-2B Visa Availability in the US, FY 2026
Statutory cap (base) |████████████████ | 66,000
Supplemental visas added |███████████████▊ | 64,716
Total FY2026 availability |███████████████████████████████▉ | ~130,716
| Interesting Fact | 2026 Figure |
|---|---|
| Base statutory H-2B cap, FY 2026 | 66,000 (33,000 per half-year) |
| Supplemental visas authorized for FY 2026 | Up to 64,716 — roughly doubling the base cap |
| Total H-2B visa availability, FY 2026 | ~130,716 |
| Top H-2B occupation category | Landscaping and groundskeeping (~37-40% of certified jobs) |
| Landscaping H-2B wage vs. national average | $2.11/hour lower (11% below average) |
| Seafood processing H-2B wage vs. national average | $4.13/hour lower (22% below average) |
| Maximum consecutive H-2B stay | Up to 3 years (1-year initial, renewable) |
| H-2B second-half FY2026 cap reached | March 20, 2026 |
Source: USCIS Cap Count for H-2B Nonimmigrants; DHS/DOL Temporary Increase in H-2B Nonimmigrant Visas for FY 2026; Economic Policy Institute; National Association of Landscape Professionals
The single biggest story in H-2B statistics for 2026 is scale: the program’s base statutory cap of 66,000 visas — a number set by Congress and unchanged in its structure for decades — has effectively doubled to roughly 130,716 thanks to a supplemental allocation of up to 64,716 additional visas authorized by DHS and the Department of Labor in January 2026. That expansion reflects just how tight seasonal labor markets have become: even with the supplemental visas in play, the second half of FY2026’s cap was exhausted by March 20, with USCIS forced to reject any new cap-subject petitions requesting start dates between April 1 and September 30 that arrived after the March 10 cutoff.
Behind the raw numbers sits a wage story that’s drawn sustained criticism from labor economists. Workers in the program’s largest occupation category, landscaping and groundskeeping, earn on average $2.11 less per hour than the national average for the same work, while those in seafood processing — cutting and trimming fish, crab, and other catch — earn $4.13 less per hour, a gap of roughly 22%. With H-2B placements now capable of stretching to three consecutive years under current renewal rules, those wage gaps compound into a meaningful multi-year earnings difference for the workers filling some of America’s most physically demanding seasonal jobs.
H-2B Visa Cap and Supplemental Allocation Statistics in the US 2026
FY 2026 H-2B Supplemental Visa Allocations
Allocation 1 (Jan-Mar, returning only) |██████████ | 18,490
Allocation 2 (Apr, returning only) |███████████████ | 27,736
Allocation 3 (May-Sep, new+returning) |██████████ | 18,490
| Allocation | Visas | Eligible Workers | Start Date Window | Status (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base statutory cap, H1 FY26 | 33,000 | All eligible workers | Oct 1, 2025 – Mar 31, 2026 | Cap reached |
| Base statutory cap, H2 FY26 | 33,000 | All eligible workers | Apr 1 – Sep 30, 2026 | Cap reached Mar 20, 2026 |
| Supplemental Allocation 1 | 18,490 | Returning workers only | Jan 1 – Mar 31, 2026 | Cap reached Feb 6, 2026 |
| Supplemental Allocation 2 | 27,736 | Returning workers only | Apr 1 – Apr 30, 2026 | Cap reached (final receipt Apr 21, 2026) |
| Supplemental Allocation 3 | 18,490 | New and returning workers | May 1 – Sep 30, 2026 | Filing window active |
Source: USCIS Temporary Increase in H-2B Nonimmigrant Visas for FY 2026; Fragomen Immigration Alert, March 2026
H-2B’s cap structure in 2026 works like a layered system rather than a single number: a base statutory cap of 66,000, split evenly between the first and second halves of the fiscal year, sits underneath a much larger supplemental pool of up to 64,716 additional visas released in three separate allocations timed to different seasonal hiring windows. The first supplemental allocation, reserved exclusively for returning workers with H-2B status in one of the prior three fiscal years, was exhausted by February 6, 2026 — just over a week after applications opened, an early-exhaustion pattern that repeated with the second allocation’s April 21 cutoff.
That speed of exhaustion is itself a data point worth noting: employers in seasonal industries are filing petitions as early as legally possible, a strategy recruitment specialists attribute to a shrinking domestic labor pool in sectors like hospitality and landscaping combined with employers’ growing familiarity with how competitive the supplemental windows have become. The third and final allocation of 18,490 visas stands out because it’s the only FY2026 supplemental tranche open to both new and returning workers, making it the primary entry point for first-time H-2B employers trying to secure summer and fall staffing for the first time this year.
H-2B Jobs and Top Occupations in the US 2026
H-2B Certified Jobs by Occupation Category (Share of Total)
Landscaping & groundskeeping |████████████████████████| ~37-40%
Hotels & motels |████████ | 8.67%
Forestry support activities |██████ | 6.3%
Seafood processing & packaging |█████ | 5.65%
| Occupation Category | Share of Certified H-2B Jobs |
|---|---|
| Landscaping and groundskeeping | ~37-40% |
| Hotels and motels | 8.67% |
| Forestry support activities | 6.3% |
| Seafood processing and packaging | 5.65% |
| Construction and trades | Consistently a top-5 occupation category |
| Amusement parks, ski resorts, food service | Smaller but recurring seasonal share |
Source: National Association of Landscape Professionals; Asian Hospitality/H-2B Workforce Coalition study; USCIS/DOL occupational certification data
Landscaping and groundskeeping dominate the H-2B program to a degree few other occupations come close to matching, accounting for somewhere between 37% and 40% of all certified H-2B positions depending on the year and data source — by far the single largest use of the visa category. That concentration makes sense given the seasonal nature of lawn care, snow removal, and grounds maintenance work, which spikes hard in spring and summer and often can’t be staffed adequately from the local labor pool in many parts of the country. Hotels and motels round out a distant second at 8.67%, reflecting the tourism and hospitality industry’s own seasonal staffing crunches around peak travel periods.
Forestry support activities and seafood processing, at 6.3% and 5.65% respectively, round out the program’s next tier of major occupation categories, both concentrated heavily in specific US regions — forestry work tied to logging and reforestation seasons in the Pacific Northwest and Southeast, seafood processing tied to crab, salmon, and shellfish harvest seasons in Alaska, the Chesapeake Bay, and the Gulf Coast. The Federation of Workers and Employers of America and the broader H-2B Workforce Coalition point to this data as evidence of a persistent structural shortage of domestic workers willing to take on physically demanding, short-term seasonal roles, even after extensive local recruitment efforts required under DOL rules.
H-2B Worker Salaries and Wage Statistics in the US 2026
H-2B Wages vs. National Average Wage by Occupation
Landscaping/groundskeeping |███████████████████ | -$2.11/hr (-11%)
Construction laborers |████████████████████████ | -$3.79/hr (-15%)
Meat/poultry/fish cutters |████████████████████████████ | -$4.13/hr (-22%)
| Occupation | H-2B Wage Gap vs. National Average | Percentage Below Average |
|---|---|---|
| Landscaping and groundskeeping workers | -$2.11 per hour | ~11% below average |
| Construction laborers | -$3.79 per hour | ~15% below average |
| Meat, poultry, and fish cutters/trimmers (seafood) | -$4.13 per hour | ~22% below average |
| National mean wage, landscaping/groundskeeping (all workers, BLS OEWS) | $19.65/hour ($40,880/year) | — |
| US landscaping/groundskeeping workforce (all, not just H-2B) | 906,000 workers | — |
Source: Economic Policy Institute; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024; H-2B program certification data
The wage comparison data is the most contested piece of the H-2B statistical picture, and it forms the core of ongoing criticism from labor economists. Analysis from the Economic Policy Institute found that in landscaping and groundskeeping — the program’s largest occupation by far — the average certified H-2B wage runs $2.11 per hour below the national average for the same occupation, a gap of roughly 11%. That difference widens considerably in other top H-2B occupations: construction laborers hired through the program earn $3.79 less per hour (about 15% below average), while workers in seafood processing roles — meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers — earn $4.13 less per hour, over 22% below what the same job pays nationally on average.
For context, the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2024 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey put the national mean wage for all landscaping and groundskeeping workers — a workforce of 906,000 people nationally, encompassing both H-2B and domestic workers — at $19.65 per hour, or $40,880 annually. Employer groups counter that these wage-level comparisons don’t fully account for regional cost-of-living differences or the fact that DOL’s own prevailing wage rules already require employers to pay the government-determined rate for the specific occupation and location; critics respond that the prevailing wage methodology itself tends to set legal floors below true market rates, a structural critique that echoes similar debates happening in parallel over H-1B wage rules this same year.
H-2B Filing Process and Prevailing Wage Rules in the US 2026
H-2B Employer Filing Timeline
Step 1: Prevailing wage request (iCert) → 30-60 days processing
Step 2: Application for Temp Employment → Form ETA-9142B, DOL Chicago NPC
Certification (DOL)
Step 3: Petition filing with USCIS → Form I-129, cap-subject window
Step 4: Visa issuance / status grant → Department of State or USCIS
| Process Step | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Step 1: Prevailing wage determination | Filed via iCert with DOL’s National Prevailing Wage Center; ~30-60 day processing |
| Step 2: Temporary labor certification | Form ETA-9142B filed with DOL’s Chicago National Processing Center |
| Step 3: Petition with USCIS | Form I-129 filed within the relevant cap-subject filing window |
| Step 4: Recruitment requirement | Employer must demonstrate insufficient US worker availability |
| Maximum initial stay | Up to 1 year, tied to certified temporary need |
| Maximum total stay (with renewals) | Up to 3 years |
Source: DOL Office of Foreign Labor Certification; USCIS H-2B Program Guidance
The H-2B filing process places nearly all of the administrative burden on the employer rather than the worker, starting with a prevailing wage determination request submitted through DOL’s online iCert system, a step that typically takes 30 to 60 days to process before an employer can even begin recruitment. Only after securing that wage determination can an employer file the Application for Temporary Employment Certification (Form ETA-9142B) with DOL’s Chicago National Processing Center, a filing that requires documented evidence of good-faith recruitment showing that qualified, willing US workers could not be found for the position at the offered wage.
Once DOL certifies the labor need, the employer files Form I-129 with USCIS during the relevant cap-subject filing window — timing that has become increasingly high-stakes given how quickly recent allocations have been exhausted. The most recent filing window illustrates the pressure employers face: for October 1, 2026 start dates (the opening of FY2027’s first half), DOL’s three-day filing window ran July 3-5, 2026, and the subsequent randomization process split applications into two groups, with 1,881 cases in the group large enough to fill the 33,000-visa allotment and an additional 744 cases placed in a secondary group for any remaining capacity — a lottery-style outcome that reflects just how oversubscribed the program has become relative to its statutory limits.
Recent H-2B Policy Updates in the US 2026
H-2B Policy Timeline, 2026
Jan 30 → DHS/DOL announce 64,716 supplemental visa authorization
Feb 6 → Allocation 1 (returning workers, Jan-Mar) cap reached
Mar 10 → Final receipt date, second-half base cap
Mar 20 → Second-half FY2026 base cap officially reached
Apr 21 → Allocation 2 (returning workers, April) cap reached
Jun 15 → English proficiency screening rule takes effect (CMV operators)
Jul 3-5 → FY2027 first-half filing window opens
| Date (2026) | Policy Development |
|---|---|
| January 30 | DHS and DOL jointly authorize up to 64,716 supplemental H-2B visas for FY 2026 |
| February 6 | First supplemental allocation (18,490 visas, returning workers) reaches cap |
| March 20 | Second-half base statutory cap (33,000) officially reached |
| April 21 | Second supplemental allocation (27,736 visas) reaches cap |
| June 15 | Increased Department of State screening, including English proficiency verification, takes effect for commercial motor vehicle operators |
| July 3-5 | Three-day filing window opens for October 1, 2026 (FY2027 first-half) start dates |
Source: USCIS Announcements; U.S. Department of Labor OFLC Announcements; Federal Register
2026 has been an unusually active year for H-2B policy changes, starting with the January 30 joint announcement that effectively doubled program capacity through the supplemental visa authorization — a decision that came after the Trump administration initially floated a smaller 35,000-visa supplemental figure in early January before settling on the larger 64,716 number matching the prior year’s Biden-era allocation. That expansion was followed by a rapid cascade of cap exhaustions throughout the first half of the year, with each successive allocation window closing faster than employer groups had anticipated.
A separate but consequential change arrived on June 15, when the Department of State’s increased screening and vetting requirements took effect, adding English language proficiency verification specifically for H-2B workers seeking to operate commercial motor vehicles in the United States — a rule that intersects with broader federal trucking and transportation safety enforcement priorities this year. Looking ahead, the three-day filing window that opened July 3-5 for FY2027’s first-half cap (covering October 1, 2026 start dates) produced immediate oversubscription, with DOL’s randomization process confirming that demand once again outstripped the 33,000-visa first-half allotment, reinforcing that the structural gap between H-2B supply and employer demand shows no sign of narrowing as the program heads into its next fiscal cycle. For workers and employers watching how far a set wage will actually stretch, it’s worth noting how this landscape compares with the broader state-by-state minimum wage data, which shows most H-2B-heavy states now setting wage floors well above the frozen $7.25 federal rate.
H-2B vs H-1B: Key Differences in the US 2026
H-2B vs H-1B at a Glance, 2026
H-2B H-1B
Cap 66,000 + 64,716 supp. 85,000 (65k + 20k advanced degree)
Work type Non-agricultural, temporary Specialty occupation, degree-required
Max duration Up to 3 years Up to 6 years (renewable in some cases)
New petition fee Standard filing fees $100,000 for overseas beneficiaries (2025+)
Wage-setting 4-tier DOL prevailing wage 4-tier DOL prevailing wage (NPRM pending)
| Feature | H-2B | H-1B |
|---|---|---|
| Program focus | Non-agricultural seasonal/temporary work | Specialty occupations requiring a degree |
| FY 2026 total visa availability | ~130,716 (with supplemental) | 85,000 statutory cap |
| Maximum stay | Up to 3 years | Up to 6 years (extensions possible) |
| New petition fee for overseas hires | Standard USCIS filing fees | $100,000 (effective under 2025 proclamation) |
| Selection method | First-come, first-served / lottery by allocation | Wage-weighted lottery starting FY 2027 |
| Pathway to permanent residency | No direct pathway | Common pathway via employer sponsorship |
Source: USCIS Program Data; DOL Office of Foreign Labor Certification; Federal Register, December 2025
Though both H-2B and H-1B are employer-sponsored, capped nonimmigrant work visa categories, the programs serve almost entirely different segments of the labor market. H-1B targets specialty occupations — jobs generally requiring at least a bachelor’s degree, concentrated heavily in technology, finance, and healthcare — while H-2B exists specifically for non-agricultural work that is temporary, seasonal, or tied to a one-time peak-load need, with no degree requirement at all. That distinction shows up sharply in the cost structure: H-1B petitions for workers currently located outside the US now carry a $100,000 supplemental fee under a September 2025 presidential proclamation, a cost with no equivalent in the H-2B program, which relies instead on standard USCIS filing fees plus the underlying labor certification and recruitment costs.
Both programs share one structural similarity worth noting: each relies on the same Department of Labor four-tier prevailing wage methodology to set minimum legal pay floors, and both have faced criticism in 2026 that those floors sit below true market wages for the occupations involved. For a detailed breakdown of how the parallel H-1B wage overhaul is unfolding this year — including the proposed shift from the 17th to the 34th percentile for entry-level wage floors — see the full H-1B visa minimum wage statistics, which documents the most significant wage rule change to that companion program in over two decades.
Debate Over the H-2B Program in the US 2026
Two Sides of the H-2B Debate, 2026
Employer/industry view: Persistent shortage of US workers for seasonal roles
Labor advocate view: Certified wages undercut national averages by 11-22%
| Perspective | Core Argument |
|---|---|
| Employer / industry groups | Extensive recruitment efforts consistently fail to find enough US workers for seasonal roles |
| H-2B Workforce Coalition position | Program addresses critical, documented labor shortages in landscaping, hospitality, and seafood |
| Economic Policy Institute position | Certified H-2B wages run 11-22% below national averages in top occupations, risking downward wage pressure |
| Proposed program expansion (employer-backed) | Extend H-2B eligibility to year-round positions like meatpacking |
| Labor advocate counter-proposal | Tie wage rule to national average pay; pair temporary status with a green card pathway |
Source: Federation of Workers and Employers of America; Economic Policy Institute; H-2B Workforce Coalition
The debate over H-2B’s role in the US labor market in 2026 breaks down into two well-documented but conflicting readings of the same underlying data. Employer and industry groups, represented prominently by the H-2B Workforce Coalition, point to consistent, DOL-verified evidence of unfilled seasonal positions despite extensive domestic recruitment efforts as proof the program addresses a genuine structural gap rather than simply substituting cheaper foreign labor for available American workers — a position that has gained support as some employers now lobby to expand H-2B eligibility beyond its current seasonal restrictions into year-round occupations like meatpacking.
Labor economists at the Economic Policy Institute read the same wage data very differently, arguing that certified H-2B wages running 11% to 22% below national averages across the program’s top three occupations demonstrate the prevailing wage system itself is structurally flawed, creating downward pressure on wages for domestic workers competing in the same labor markets. This tension over how temporary, capped work visa programs should be designed and priced isn’t unique to H-2B — similar debates over wage floors, worker protections, and pathways to permanent status are playing out simultaneously across other temporary status categories this year. For a look at how a very different temporary immigration status is navigating its own 2026 legal and economic battles, the Temporary Protected Status statistics show how court rulings, workforce economics, and congressional action are reshaping protections for a much larger population of temporary status holders across the country.
Disclaimer: The data research report we present here is based on information found from various sources. We are not liable for any financial loss, errors, or damages of any kind that may result from the use of the information herein. We acknowledge that though we try to report accurately, we cannot verify the absolute facts of everything that has been represented.
