How to Navigate the Lottery, Secure Workers, and Future-Proof Your Workforce
The 2025 season is not like years past. The Big Beautiful Bill reshaped the H-2B program and created new risks for employers.
Every petition is sorted into randomized groups, which determine your chance of securing workers.
Group A-B
Highest probability of certification and worker arrival.
Group C-D
Delays and partial certifications are common.
Group E & Beyond
Often denied or receiving workers too late.
Because the returning worker exemption has been capped for the first time this year, placement in a later group carries more risk than in the past. Employers cannot rely on rollover numbers or “bonus” returning visas to fill gaps.
Timing is critical. Missing a window can cost you your entire workforce for the season.
Filing Windows for 2025:
Key H-2B Filing Steps:
The 33,000 seasonal split makes it more important than ever to file early and accurately.
This is not just a headline. Enforcement is already underway.
Over 1 million deportations targeted annually
Sudden crew disruptions in industries with high undocumented percentages
Legal and financial exposure for employers caught unprepared
Employers must treat deportations as a real and immediate threat to operations.
Even with a strong petition, you need backup plans.
Supplemental Cap (Mexico only): May petitions allow limited additions, but competition is fierce.
Worker Transfers: Coordinate with local companies higher H-2B lottery groups that have unused visa allocations to bring your employees up and transfer them to you after one-two pay cycles.
Fall Lottery: File for October start dates if your spring petition fails.
Prepare now to increase your odds in future filings.
Many employers are moving beyond H-2B alone and securing workers permanently.
EB-3 Benefits:
Economics:
Your workforce is your business. Protect it now.
