Last week, USCIS provided updated numbers regarding the H2B cap for the second half of Fiscal Year 2011. According to USCIS, as of October 8, the federal agency has received 9,278 petitions toward the 33,000 H-2B cap for the first half of the fiscal year. Another 33,000 H-2B visas will be available for the second half of the fiscal year as well. The current count from USCIS includes 7,875 approved visas and 1,403 petitions that are currently pending.

The H-2B visa program enables U.S, employers to bring foreign nationals to the U.S. to fill temporary non-agricultural positions. Congress has set an annual limit of 66,000 (allocated twice a year) available H-2B visas per year. Unused numbers from the first half of the year will be allocated to the second half of the year; however, any unused numbers from FY 2011 will not roll over into FY 2012.