Second-Half H-2B Cap for 2009 Met

The cap for employers requesting H-2B guest workers for the second half of the 2009 fiscal year has been reached.

The 33,000-visa limit for employers who need workers with a start date prior to Oct. 1 was met as of Jan. 7, according to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This came just a little later than last year’s date of cap fulfillment - Jan. 2 – which remains the earliest fulfillment date for the cap so far.

Employers are permitted to apply for the workers they need as many as 120 days before their date of need.

Last month, the U.S. Department of Labor issued changes to the H-2B filing procedure designed to streamline and modernize the process. Instead of filing at both the state and federal levels, employers will submit their H-2B applications directly with the department's Employment and Training Administration. The rule goes into effect Jan. 18.