LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 9, 2019) – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began accepting petitions on Wednesday, May 8 for 30,000 additional H-2B visas restricted to returning workers for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019. Rules published in the Federal Register include the following language:
“Starting on the expected date of May 8, 2019, eligible petitioners seeking additional H-2B workers can file Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, and must submit a supplemental attestation on Form ETA 91942-B-CAA-3 with their petition.”
The supplemental H-2B visas are available only to returning workers who received an H-2B visa, or were otherwise granted H-2B status, during one of the last three fiscal years (FY 2016, 2017, or 2018), and availability is restricted by prioritizing only those businesses who would suffer irreparable harm without the additional workers.
Visit USCIS.gov for details on eligibility and filing requirements.
The H-2B visa program is a nonimmigrant visa program used by businesses in various industries that require temporary, non-agricultural workers when domestic workers are unavailable. Within the horse racing industry, racehorse trainers rely heavily on the program to fill many backside positions.