Every winter, landscaping firms, hotels, ski resorts, seafood plants and carnivals face the same problem: they need extra hands for a few months and cannot find enough local workers. The H-2B visa program is the legal way to bring in temporary non-farm workers from abroad. But it has many steps, strict deadlines and fees that confuse first-time employers. This guide explains how H-2B works for employers in plain English, step by step, with the official 2026 government fees and a realistic timeline. Every fee below comes from the current federal fee rules (8 CFR 106), the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Department of Labor (DOL). What is the H-2B program? H-2B lets US employers hire foreign nationals for temporary non-agricultural jobs. USCIS says the need must be temporary and fall into one of four types: - Seasonal: tied to a season, such as summer landscaping or a ski season - Peakload: a short-term rise in demand on top of permanent staff - Intermittent: occasional, short periods of need - One-time occurrence: a single event or project There is a yearly cap of 66,000 visas: 33,000 for workers starting in the first half of the fiscal year (1 October to 31 March) and 33,000 for the second half (1 April to 30 September). Workers can stay up to three years in total, then must leave the US for 60 days before they can return in H-2B status. How does H-2B work for employers? Step by step 1. Request a prevailing wage (Form ETA-9141). DOL's National Prevailing Wage Center tells you the minimum wage for the job. DOL advises requesting it at least 60 days before you need it. 2. File the job order and labor certification (Form ETA-9142B). Within 75 to 90 days before your date of need, file the job order with your State Workforce Agency (SWA) and the application, with its appendices and the prevailing wage, to DOL's National Processing Center (NPC). 3. DOL review. The SWA reviews the job order within 6 business days. DOL then issues a Notice of Acceptance or a Notice of Deficiency within 7 business days. 4. Recruit US workers. After acceptance, you must contact former US workers and either contact the union (if any) or post the job at your workplace for 15 consecutive business days. DOL also posts your job on SeasonalJobs.dol.gov. You must hire qualified US applicants who apply until 21 days before the date of need. 5. Send the recruitment report. DOL then makes its final decision on the labor certification. 6. File Form I-129 with USCIS. Include the approved labor certification. One petition can name up to 25 workers. 7. Workers apply for visas. Most workers go to a US consulate abroad for an interview and pay the visa fee. 8. Workers arrive and start. You must tell USCIS within 2 workdays if a worker does not report within 5 workdays of the start date, stops coming for 5 consecutive workdays, is terminated early, or finishes more than 30 days early. H-2B timeline at a glance - Prevailing wage request (ETA-9141): When At least 60 days before you need it; Who Employer to DOL - Job order + ETA-9142B: When 75 to 90 days before the date of need; Who Employer to SWA and DOL - SWA review of job order: When Within 6 business days; Who State Workforce Agency - Notice of Acceptance or Deficiency: When Within 7 business days; Who DOL National Processing Center - US worker referrals accepted: When Until 21 days before date of need; Who Employer - Form I-129 petition: When After labor certification; Who Employer to USCIS - Premium processing (optional): When 15 business days; Who USCIS Demand is heavy. DOL's processing data (as of 3 November 2026) shows that for start dates between 1 October 2026 and 31 March 2027, 1,806 applications for 33,927 workers came in the first group of the 3-5 July 2026 filing window, and another 714 applications for 15,715 workers in the second group. USCIS announced on 11 September 2026 that it had received enough petitions to reach the cap for the first half of fiscal year 2027 (final receipt date: 4 September 2026). The second-half cap for jobs starting 1 April 2027 or later is still open. H-2B cost per worker: the official 2026 fees These are the USCIS fees for Form I-129 for H-2B workers under 8 CFR 106.2. "Small employer" means 25 or fewer full-time equivalent employees. - I-129 H-2B, named workers (1-25 per petition): Standard $1,080; Small employer $540; Nonprofit $540 - I-129 H-2B, unnamed workers only: Standard $580; Small employer $460; Nonprofit $460 - Asylum Program Fee (per petition): Standard $600; Small employer $300; Nonprofit $0 - Fraud prevention and detection fee (per petition): Standard $150; Small employer $150; Nonprofit $150 - Premium processing (optional): Standard $1,780; Small employer $1,780; Nonprofit $1,780 - Visa application fee (per worker, State Department): Standard $205; Small employer $205; Nonprofit $205 A few points to note: - Filing online gives a $50 discount on most I-129 fees (8 CFR 106.1(g)). It does not apply to the reduced small-employer and nonprofit fees or to the Asylum Program Fee. - Under DOL rules, the employer must pay or reimburse the worker's visa, visa processing and related fees in the first workweek. Workers must not pay these. - A newer "visa integrity fee" of at least $250, created by Public Law 119-21, is not yet on the State Department's fee page, so we could not confirm when or how it will be collected. Example: what one petition can cost Here is our own example, using only the fees above (not legal or attorney fees): - Small employer, 10 unnamed workers, paper filing: $460 + $150 + $300 = $910 for the petition, plus $205 x 10 = $2,050 in visa fees, for a total of $2,960, or about $296 per worker. - Larger employer, 10 unnamed workers: $580 + $150 + $600 = $1,330, plus $2,050 in visa fees, for a total of $3,380, or about $338 per worker. Then add travel. Under DOL Fact Sheet 78F, the employer must pay inbound transportation and daily subsistence once a worker completes 50% of the job order period, and return transportation if the worker completes the job or is dismissed early. Many employers also pay a lawyer or agent, and those private fees vary widely. What employers must never do - Charge recruitment fees to workers. DOL requires employers to ban, in writing, any recruiter or agent from charging workers. USCIS can deny or revoke a petition if workers paid prohibited fees. - Pay less than the offered wage. You must pay at least the wage on the certified job order for the full period. - Skip record-keeping. Keep H-2B records for 3 years. New for truck-driving jobs: labor certifications for commercial vehicle drivers must now include an English proficiency standard, under DOL guidance effective 15 June 2026. USCIS says it will generally accept visas issued after 15 June 2026 as proof, so check the rules before filing for CDL roles. FAQ How much does H-2B cost per worker? Government fees alone can be about $300 per worker for a 10-worker petition (our example above), before travel, housing help, legal fees and wages. What is the I-129 fee for H-2B in 2026? $1,080 for named workers ($540 for small employers and nonprofits) or $580 for unnamed workers ($460 for small employers and nonprofits), plus a $150 fraud fee and the Asylum Program Fee of $600 ($300 small employers, $0 nonprofits). How long does the H-2B process take? Plan for about 90 days or more before the date of need. You file with DOL 75 to 90 days before workers are needed, and the prevailing wage request should go in even earlier. Can H-2B workers bring their families? Spouses and unmarried children under 21 can come in H-4 status, but they cannot work in the US. Is the H-2B cap full for winter 2026-27? Yes. The first-half FY2027 cap was reached with a final receipt date of 4 September 2026, so USCIS now rejects new cap-subject petitions with start dates before 1 April 2027. Only cap-exempt petitions can still be filed for that period. USCIS's "Cap Count for H-2B Nonimmigrants" page explains who is exempt. Sources - DOL ETA: H-2B Temporary Non-agricultural Program (https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/foreign-labor/programs/h-2b) - USCIS: H-2B Temporary Non-Agricultural Workers (https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/h-2b-temporary-non-agricultural-workers) - eCFR: 8 CFR 106.2, USCIS fees (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-106/section-106.2) - eCFR: 8 CFR 106.1, fee rules (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-106/section-106.1) - eCFR: 8 CFR 106.4, premium processing (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-106/section-106.4) - DOL WHD Fact Sheet 78F: H-2B fees and costs (https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/78f-h2b-fees) - US State Department: visa fees (https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/fees/fees-visa-services.html) - DOL FLAG: processing times (https://flag.dol.gov/processingtimes) Disclaimer This post is for information only and is not legal advice. Fees and rules were checked on 7 November 2026 and can change. Talk to a qualified immigration attorney before filing. The Motivators is not a recruiter and does not file petitions. 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