“The Secretary should make it clear that he or she will not use the Secretary’s existing discretionary authority to increase the number of H-2B (seasonal non-agricultural) visas above the statutorily set cap[1].” (Common Defense, Dept. of Homeland Security, Page 138)

The current cap for a fiscal year is set to issue 66,000 with 33,000 issued between January 1 and June 30 and the remaining 33,000 issued July 1 through December 31. The largest percentage of visas are issued to landscaping and groundskeeping with the second largest number issued in forestry[2]. Other industries such as meat and fish processing, construction and recreation would equally be affected.

Fact Sheet on H-2B Visas