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By Brendan Cole
Senior Reporter
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The Trump administration will double the maximum number of H-2B guest worker visas through to September, in what is seen as a response to the needs of American businesses who rely on seasonal foreign workers.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Labor (DOL) jointly announced it had increased the cap on H-2B nonimmigrant visas by up to 64,716 additional visas for the 2026 fiscal year 2026.
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Why It Matters
Immigration has been a focus for the Trump administration, which has imposed a mass deportation campaign involving crackdowns by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on several American cities.
There has been a backlash against the Trump administration’s demand for a $100,000 fee for skilled workers through another program, the H1-B. The move to increase H-2B visas will be seen as showing his sensitivity to certain types of businesses, which need seasonal workers to able to operate properly.
What To Know
The DHS and DOL jointly announced on Friday a temporary final rule which ups the cap on H-2B nonimmigrant visas by up to 64,716 additional visas for fiscal year ending September 30. This effectively doubles the current 66,000 cap.
The statement said the extra visas are available only to businesses “suffering irreparable harm” if they can’t employ all the H-2B workers requested in their petition.
Of the 64,716 additional visas, 46,226 will be available only for returning workers who had the status in one of the last three fiscal years.
The remaining 18,490 visas do not have to be given to returning workers and are for employers with late-season needs for H-2B workers who will begin work between May 1 and September 30.
Groups that favor lower levels of immigration say the visas undercut wages for U.S. workers. After Friday's announcement Immigration Accountability Project said that the move would "put low-wage Americans last" and that policy was "not Americans First, it’s donors first."
However, the National Association of Landscape Professionals had warned in December that more visas were needed due to severe labor shortages in seasonal industries, such as landscaping, construction and hospitality. It said that the visas were critical to sustaining U.S. businesses, jobs, and keeping everyday goods and services affordable.
What People Are Saying
**The DHS and DOL in a joint statement said the visas are "**available only to U.S. businesses that are suffering irreparable harm or will suffer impending irreparable harm without the ability to employ all the H-2B workers requested in their petition, as attested by the employer on a new attestation form."
Immigration Accountability Project on X: "It’s official, the (DHS and DOL) have agreed to put low-wage Americans last by almost doubling the number of seasonal, non-agricultural foreign workers who can come into the US for jobs under the H-2B program. Adding 65,000 additional (on top of the regular annual cap of 66,000) H-2B visas is not Americans First, it’s Donors First."
The National Association of Landscape Professionals in December said: “The American economy depends on a reliable, legal, and timely workforce to keep essential industries running.”
Ken Gear, CEO, Leading Builders of America (LBA) said in a statement in December: "It's vitally important that we increase the supply of housing in our communities. A key part of that is having a stable workforce available to build homes."
What Happens Next
A temporary rule enabling the release of the extra H-2B visas will be formally published in the Federal Register on Tuesday but does not apply to the H-2B program in future fiscal years.
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