The quota for ‘non-agricultural sector short-term employment’ (H-2B) visas additionally issued by the federal government also ran out prematurely due to a surge in applicants.
According to the Federal Immigration Service (USCIS), the number of H-2B applications received on the 19th and 25th of last month exceeded 23,500 additional issuances, and 23,500 applicants were selected through a random computer lottery.
Accordingly, USCIS is issuing receipts to the winners, and the submitted documents and fees will be returned to the unsuccessful winners and to applicants received after the 25th of last month. As a result, this year’s H-2B quota reached 89,500 in total, including 66,000 regular annual quotas that were completely exhausted at the end of February.
As it is expected that more workers will be needed in this field this year, the Federal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Labor (DOL) have issued an additional 35,000 visas and received applications since the 19th of last month.
Among them, 23,500 additional quotas, which were exhausted early this time, were made for returning workers who had worked as H-2B at least once in the past three years. The remaining 11,500 are allocated only to nationals of El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Haiti, and will receive applications until September 15. However, in the case of nationals from these four countries, it is issued regardless of whether they have worked in H-2B.
The H-2B visa is a short-term non-agricultural work visa issued to workers in hotels, restaurants, and leisure sectors that are in high demand during the season.
The H-2B has the advantage of being relatively easy to get a job in almost all types of jobs and obtaining a visa, but it is cumbersome to apply for an extension every year. In addition, the disadvantage is that it is difficult to apply for permanent residency because the maximum extension period is three years, and you have to return to your home country.