Update on applications received for requested date of need from Oct. 1, 2024, through March 31, 2025 (fiscal year (FY) 2025 first half of the visa cap):

The Department of Labor (DOL) reported that as of April 15, a total of 5,909 cases were issued Final Decisions. Certified positions for this period were allocated for 110,620 workers.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services received enough petitions to reach the additional 20,716 H-2B visas made available for returning workers for the first half of FY 2025 with start dates on or before March 31, 2025.

Update on applications received for requested date of need from April 1, 2025 (FY 2025 second half of the visa cap):

As of April 15, a total of 6,860 cases were issued Final Decisions. Certified positions for this period were allocated for 99,061 workers.

DOL completed processing of the following groups who filed between Jan. 1-3:

  • Group A (1,967* cases were issued a Final Decision with Positions Certified for 27,331* workers)
  • Group B (1,066* cases were issued a Final Decision with Positions Certified for 15,042* workers)
  • Group C (955* cases were issued a Final Decision with Positions Certified for 14,557* workers)
  • Group D (960* cases were issued a Final Decision with Positions Certified for 13,802* workers)
  • Group E (842 cases were issued a Final Decision with Positions Certified for 12,856 workers)
  • Group F (695 cases were issued a Final Decision with Positions Certified for 10,018 workers)
  • Group G (369 cases were issued a Final Decision with Positions Certified for 5,455 workers)

DOL is still assigning additional groups and processing cases submitted weekly from January through April 5.

*Indicates a change in the numbers previously reported by DOL for this group.

Background on Assignment Groups: The initial H-2B Assignment Group (i.e., Group A) will always include the number of H-2B applications containing a sufficient amount of worker positions to reach the applicable numerical visa cap, even if the numerical limits of the Immigration and Nationality Act are subsequently changed. Additional Assignment Groups are assigned in ascending sequential order for all remaining H-2B applications that were filed during the initial three-day filing window that requested the earliest start date of work permitted. Each H-2B Assignment Group after Group A (e.g., Group B, Group C, etc.) will total no more than 20,000 worker positions, or roughly 1,000 applications per group. More background on H-2B Temporary Labor Certification Program and the origin of Assignment Groups can be found here.

Learn more about H-2B visas here.

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice Group.

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