US-bound seasonal workers: August wage requests still awaiting DOL decisions

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has released updated processing figures for the H-2B visa program, with case data current to 15 October 2026 and wage determination data current to 30 September 2026. The numbers show how far the agency has progressed on decisions for the second half of the fiscal year 2026 cap and how long employers must wait for prevailing wage determinations.

Key facts

• 10,474 cases had received final decisions as of 15 October 2026
• Certified positions for the period were allocated for 143,888 workers
• Prevailing wage processing figures were last updated 30 September 2026
• The National Prevailing Wage Center is working on requests filed in August 2026 and earlier
• DOL advises employers to request a prevailing wage determination at least 60 days before it is needed

What do the latest case numbers show?

DOL reported that, as of 15 October 2026, a total of 10,474 cases had been issued final decisions. These applications covered a requested need date for the second half of the fiscal year 2026 visa cap, which the department gives as 1 January to 30 September 2026.

Certified positions for this period were allocated for 143,888 workers.

How long are prevailing wage determinations taking?

Prevailing wage determination (PWD) processing times were last updated on 30 September 2026. As of that date, the National Prevailing Wage Center is processing PWD requests filed in August 2026 and earlier for H-2B Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) cases. No PWD filing update was made available for Non-OEWS cases at this time.

Center directors are currently reviewing PWD applications from June 2026. DOL has almost completed processing of the remaining H-2B PWD requests from July. The number of remaining requests received in August 2026 is 548, and in September 2026 it is 3,975.

What do OEWS and Non-OEWS mean?

OEWS and Non-OEWS are the sources used to determine the prevailing wage for a job. Non-OEWS refers to other sources used for prevailing wage determinations, such as collective bargaining agreements or private wage surveys.

How should filings be timed?

The published dates reflect the month and year in which applications were filed, or the submission date of an appeal request for redeterminations or center director review. The Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) encourages employers to request a PWD for the H-2B program at least 60 days before the date the determination is needed.

OFLC notes that it may be completing the processing of applications filed prior to the month posted for various reasons. Withdrawn and voided requests are excluded from the totals, which may cause numbers for previous months to fluctuate.

What this means for travellers

Anyone expecting to travel on an H-2B visa should confirm with their employer when the prevailing wage determination was requested, given the current backlog and the 60-day lead time DOL recommends. Figures may shift between updates as older requests are completed and withdrawn or voided cases are removed.