U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced that as of October 11, 2023, the H-2B cap for nonagricultural workers had been reached for the first half of fiscal year 2024.

Quick Hits

• USCIS announced that the H-2B cap for nonagricultural workers had been reached for the first half of FY 2024.
• H-2B-exempt categories cover current H-2B workers already in the United States who extend their stay, fish roe-processing–related occupations, and workers performing labor or services in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and/or Guam.

Several categories of H-2Bs are exempt from the H-2B cap. Specifically:

• Workers already physically present in the United States in H-2B status;
• Fish roe processing–related occupations; and
• Workers performing labor or services in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and/or Guam from November 28, 2009, until December 31, 2029.

Applications for workers in these three areas will continue to be accepted. USCIS will continue to accept cap-subject H-2B applications requesting a start date of April 1, 2024, or later.