USCIS to Conduct Lottery for Temporary Increase in FY 2018 H-2B Cap
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As previously announced, USCIS began accepting H-2B petitions on May 31, 2018, under the temporary final rule increasing the numerical limit, or cap, on H-2B nonimmigrant visas by up to 15,000 additional visas through the end of fiscal year (FY) 2018.
In the first five business days of filing, USCIS received petitions for more beneficiaries than the number of H-2B visas available under the FY 2018 supplemental cap. Accordingly, USCIS is required by regulation to use a computer-generated process, commonly known as a lottery, to randomly select the number of petitions required to meet the increased cap for FY 2018.
The lottery will include all H-2B cap-subject petitions received between May 31, 2018 and June 6, 2018.
USCIS will reject and return all unselected petitions with their filing fees, as well as any cap-subject petitions received after June 6.
All selected petitions will be assigned the same receipt date once the lottery is completed. Premium processing service for accepted petitions will begin on that receipt date.
USCIS will post another web alert once the lottery is completed.
For more information about the H-2B program, see Cap Count for H-2B Nonimmigrants.