According to USCIS, there are still a number of H-2B visas available for the second half of 2008. Nearly 17,000 H-2B visas have been approved thus far, leaving roughly 16,000 visas still open to reach the half-year cap of 33,000. Currently, about 17,500 H-2B cases are pending, with USCIS stating that they need about 50,000 total H-2B petitions to reach the 33,000 cap.

The H-2B visa category lets U.S. employers in industries with “peak load, seasonal or intermittent needs” to add to their existing workforce with temporary labor. H-2B workers usually work in the fields of construction, healthcare, landscaping, lumber, manufacturing, food service and hospitality services.