The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has officially closed the application window for the additional 19,000 H-2B visas allocated to returning workers for the early portion of the second half of fiscal year 2025. This cap was reached by April 18, and any petitions submitted after that date will be rejected, according to a USCIS notice issued on April 24.
These additional visas were part of the FY 2025 H-2B supplemental cap temporary final rule, which allowed returning foreign workers—those previously issued H-2B visas—to take up temporary, non-agricultural jobs in the U.S. between April 1 and May 14. These positions typically span sectors like hospitality, construction, landscaping, and maintenance—industries that face peak-season labor shortages.
Although the 19,000 quota for returning workers has been exhausted, another 20,000 H-2B visas remain available exclusively for nationals from select countries: El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Haiti, Colombia, Ecuador, and Costa Rica. Notably, applicants from these countries do not require prior H-2B visa experience, providing them with a valuable opportunity to work in the U.S.
The H-2B visa programme enables U.S. employers to hire foreign workers for short-term, seasonal, or peak-load non-agricultural jobs. There is a statutory annual cap of 66,000 visas, divided equally between the first and second halves of the fiscal year. Workers can stay in the U.S. under the H-2B visa for a maximum of three years, after which they must leave the country for at least three months before becoming eligible to apply again.
In a significant development announced in December 2024, USCIS introduced a 60-day grace period for H-2B workers who lose their jobs. This gives workers additional time to secure new employment or make arrangements to depart the U.S. without risking immediate deportation or falling out of legal status.
However, Indian nationals continue to be excluded from the H-2B programme. India is not currently listed among the eligible countries by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Eligibility is determined based on factors such as high visa overstay or refusal rates, fraud or program misuse, failure to comply with visa conditions, or concerns related to human trafficking.
For now, despite the growing demand for international seasonal workers and increased visa quotas, Indian citizens will remain outside the purview of the H-2B visa scheme—at least until the eligibility list is reviewed again by U.S. authorities.
