This blog is written by Ulman Public Policy, TCIA’s Washington, D.C.-based advocacy and lobbying partner.

On March 26, USCIS announced that it has received enough petitions to meet the H-2B cap for the second half of FY 2025. March 5, 2025, was the final receipt date for cap-subject petitions with employment start dates between April 1 and September 30, 2025. Petitions submitted after that date for positions starting within that window will be rejected—unless they fall under the supplemental H-2B visa allocations.

Fortunately, as a result of a temporary final rule issued in December 2024, USCIS and the Department of Labor are making up to 64,716 supplemental H-2B visas available for FY 2025. These visas are distributed in multiple phases and are limited to returning workers and nationals from designated countries. Employers seeking to hire through the supplemental cap must attest that they will suffer irreparable harm without the requested workers.

TCIA, along with the H-2B Workforce Coalition, had urged the administration to take this step. On March 14, TCIA joined a letter to DHS and DOL calling for the full and timely release of the remaining FY 2025 supplemental visas—particularly the 19,000 visas reserved for returning workers with start dates in early spring. This advocacy followed a surge in demand that quickly exhausted the regular cap, leaving many seasonal employers, including tree care companies, without access to needed labor as the busy season approaches.

Filing dates for these supplemental visas are now available. For more details—including who qualifies, when petitions can be filed, and how visas are allocated—visit USCIS’s H-2B supplemental visa page.

TCIA advocates Washington on behalf of all our members, and the tree care industry at large. To learn more about the issues we’re discussing, or how we make your voices heard in Washington, visit advocacy.tcia.org.

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