Data / Federal rules / 2026-02131
Exercise of Time-Limited Authority To Increase the Fiscal Year 2026 Numerical Limitation for the H-2B Temporary Nonagricultural Worker Program
The Employment and Training Administration published this final rule in the Federal Register on February 3, 2026. It took effect on January 30, 2026.
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What the agency says
The Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, is exercising time-limited Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 authority to issue up to, but not more than, an additional 64,716 visas for the fiscal year. All of these supplemental visas will be available only to those American businesses that are suffering or will suffer impending irreparable harm, i.e., those facing permanent and severe financial loss, as attested by the employer. These supplemental visas will be distributed in three allocations based on the petitioner's start date of need through the end of the fiscal year.
Key facts
- Document number
- 2026-02131
- Type
- Final rule
- Action
- Temporary rule
- Agency
- Homeland Security Department; Labor Department; Employment and Training Administration
- Published
- February 3, 2026
- Takes effect
- January 30, 2026
- Dates
- Effective Dates: This final rule is effective from January 30, 2026, through September 30, 2026, except for 20 CFR 655.69, which is effective from January 30, 2026, through September 30, 2029.
- Docket
- CIS No. 2854-26; DHS Docket No. USCIS-2026-0034; DOL Docket No. ETA-2026-0034
- Regulation ID (RIN)
- 1205-AC32; 1615-AD16
- Code of Federal Regulations
- 8 CFR 214; 20 CFR 655
- Topics
- Administrative practice and procedure; Aliens; Cultural exchange programs; Employment; Foreign officials; Forests and forest products; Fraud; Health professions; Immigration; Labor; Passports and visas; Penalties; Reporting and recordkeeping requirements; Students; Wages
- Pages
- 35
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| Adverse Effect Wage Rate Methodology for the Temporary Employment of H-2A Nonimmigrants in Non-Range Occupations in the United States 2025-19365 · significant | Final rule | Oct 2, 2025 |
| Rescission of Workforce Investment Act Regulations 2025-16771 | Final rule | Sep 2, 2025 |
Everything from the Employment and Training Administration · Rules on administrative practice and procedure · Rules on aliens · Rules on cultural exchange programs · Published in February 2026
Read from the Federal Register API, last updated 2026-10-23. The document on federalregister.gov is the official record; dates and dockets can change through later corrections. Free to reuse with credit to SpecStream under CC BY 4.0.