For employers
H-2B cap and deadline tracker
Where the H-2B cap stands and when filing windows open. Each figure shows the date it was last checked against official sources.
45+
business clients served
Day 1
associates ready on their first shift
4
J-1 sponsor partners
$0
fees charged to workers, ever
Current position
Last verified: September 22, 2026
- Statutory cap, fiscal year 2027
- 66,000 visas: 33,000 for jobs starting October 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027, and 33,000 for jobs starting April 1 to September 30, 2027.
- First half (winter starts)
- Cap reached. USCIS announced on September 11, 2026 that it had enough petitions; the final receipt date was September 4, 2026.
- Second half (summer starts)
- Open. No final receipt date announced.
- When to file with the Department of Labor
- 75 to 90 calendar days before your date of need. For an April 1, 2027 start, that is January 1 to January 16, 2027.
- Supplemental visas for fiscal year 2027
- Not confirmed. We could not verify any fiscal year 2027 supplemental visa announcement on September 22, 2026. Check USCIS before planning around them.
- Carryover
- Unused H-2B numbers do not carry over to the next fiscal year.
Sources
- USCIS: Cap count for H-2B nonimmigrants (page updated September 11, 2026)
- 20 CFR 655.15(b): timing of the Application for Temporary Employment Certification
This tracker is general information, not legal advice. Cap counts and filing windows change; always confirm with the official U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announcements and your advisers. Nobody can guarantee a visa, an approval or an arrival date.
Why Alto HR
A workforce partner that has worked the floor
Built by store operators
Founded by former big-box retail operators. We know the store floor, not just recruiting.
Local, not remote
Our office is in Miramar Beach. We can meet you in person and walk your store.
Ready on day one
Associates are screened and prepared before their first shift, so your managers are not starting from zero.
We carry the paperwork
Alto associates are our W-2 employees. We run their pay, tax forms and employment records.
H-2B cap and deadline tracker across the Florida Panhandle
We staff from Pensacola to Panama City, all from our office at 495 Grand Boulevard in Miramar Beach.
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