Showing H-2B (Non-Agricultural Worker) · FY2015–FY2026.
FY2015–2023 comes from USCIS's archived per-year export files; FY2024–FY2026 was pulled directly from USCIS's live Crosstab View tool, with FY2026 reflecting data as of 6/30/2026 (a partial fiscal year, not a full-year total).
"Approval"/"Denial" counts are workers covered by first decisions on petitions (initial + continuing employment), not unique petitions.
204,976
Workers Approved, FY2026
0.8%
Denial Rate, FY2026
7.5%
Peak Denial Rate (FY2016)
1,704,598
Total Approved, FY2015–2026
H-2B (Non-Agricultural Worker) — Approvals vs. Denials by Fiscal Year
Denial Rate Over Time
| Fiscal Year | Initial Approved | Initial Denied | Continuing Approved | Continuing Denied | Denial Rate | Distinct Employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | 194,480 | 1,504 | 10,496 | 86 | 0.8% | 7,671 |
| FY2025 | 198,868 | 2,228 | 11,711 | 1,140 | 1.6% | 7,706 |
| FY2024 | 200,274 | 1,773 | 14,168 | 894 | 1.2% | 7,472 |
| FY2023 | 130,546 | 115 | 15,860 | 163 | 0.2% | 5,244 |
| FY2022 | 153,498 | 1,137 | 29,504 | 735 | 1% | 6,282 |
| FY2021 | 112,161 | 1,810 | 20,086 | 1,199 | 2.2% | 4,590 |
| FY2020 | 79,156 | 634 | 15,087 | 578 | 1.3% | 3,058 |
| FY2019 | 113,120 | 2,078 | 11,359 | 739 | 2.2% | 4,740 |
| FY2018 | 93,424 | 3,634 | 9,773 | 450 | 3.8% | 3,895 |
| FY2017 | 94,156 | 4,243 | 7,352 | 1,061 | 5% | 4,161 |
| FY2016 | 98,489 | 6,736 | 5,237 | 1,731 | 7.5% | 4,351 |
| FY2015 | 79,603 | 1,734 | 6,190 | 599 | 2.6% | 3,541 |