Visa Filing Window Opens Soon for H-2B Workers
Employers must submit applications during three-day window for October 1 start dates under FY 2026 visa cap.
WASHINGTON — The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) will open a three-day filing window on July 3 for employers seeking to hire temporary foreign workers under the H-2B visa program for the start of the 2025–26 season.
The filing window applies to H-2B applications requesting a work start date of October 1, 2025, which marks the beginning of the first half of Fiscal Year 2026 visa allotments. According to OFLC guidance, the filing period will open at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time on July 3 and close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 5.
“As per the regulatory requirements and OFLC’s standard operating procedures, H-2B applications requesting October 1, 2025, work start dates will be denied if they are filed before July 3, 2025, at midnight Eastern Time,” the agency stated.
Applications must include Form ETA-9142B and all required appendices to be considered complete. Employers with work start dates of October 2 or later must adhere to the standard timeliness requirements, which manda…