How it works & how we run it
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The program
H-2B is a federal visa that allows U.S. employers to bring foreign nationals in for temporary, non-agricultural seasonal work — landscaping, groundskeeping, hospitality, construction, and similar industries. Workers are tied to a specific employer and season, with a defined start and end date built into every visa.
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The annual cycle
Congress caps H-2B at 66,000 visas per year, split evenly between two halves — fall and spring. Employers apply during specific filing windows, and USCIS runs a lottery when demand exceeds supply. Timing, preparation, and strategy all directly affect outcomes.
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66K
Annual visa cap
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2
Filing periods — fall & spring
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15%
Cap expansion allowed per year
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30-pt
ULS strategic audit on every file
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H-2B isn’t just a visa program. In our model, it’s the front end of a permanent workforce strategy. You bring in seasonal workers through H-2B, evaluate them in the field, and the ones you want to keep long-term are the ones we move toward EB-3 permanent residency.
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Step 1
H-2B recruits & vets workers for your season
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Step 2
You identify who you want to keep long-term
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Step 3
ULS transitions top workers into EB-3
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Result
A permanent, proven workforce — built by design
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Attorney-led processing
Every file is managed by our legal team — DS-160s, recruiter coordination, compliance audits, and packet preparation handled end to end.
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30-point strategic audit
Before we file anything, we review your business, locations, crew history, and growth plans to build the strongest possible application.
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Cap expansion strategy
Through new branches, EIN numbers, or acquisitions, we help you legally grow your H-2B filing cap by up to 15% per year as your business scales.
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Returning worker optimization
Workers who have held H-2B status in prior years have advantages in the process. We build your roster around this strategically.
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Northern Triangle filings
Workers from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala are exempt from the H-2B cap — a significant tool we use to expand your available headcount.
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Total transparency
You receive all government notices directly. No black box — clear, consistent communication from first filing through worker arrival.
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Fall season (first half)
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Spring season (second half)
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SAMPLE SALES CALL
Listen: H-2B Discovery Call
A real example of how our account executives open the H-2B conversation with an existing EB-3 client.
Opening, discovering & closing existing clients
These are not cold prospects. These are current ULS clients who already trust us with their EB-3 permanent residency filings. The conversation isn’t about convincing them we’re credible — it’s about showing them that having us run both sides of their labor strategy makes everything work better together.
“Hey [name], I wanted to reach out because you’re already working with us on the EB-3 side, and I wanted to talk to you about your H-2B program — specifically, whether it would make sense for us to take that on too.
The reason I’m bringing it up is that the way we think about H-2B is a little different. For us, it’s not just a visa filing — it’s actually the front end of your workforce recruiting. You’re bringing workers in through H-2B, you’re evaluating them through a full season, and the ones you want to keep long-term are the natural candidates to move into EB-3. If we’re running both, we can make that hand-off seamless and strategic instead of something that just happens on its own.
I’d love to understand how your H-2B is set up right now and see if there’s an opportunity for us to do more for you.”
→ Then listen. Your job here is discovery, not presentation. Let them tell you what’s working and what isn’t.
Anchor in the existing relationship — You already know this person and their business. Open by acknowledging that. Reference their EB-3 program, mention workers by context if you can. You have rapport — use it. This is not a cold call, don’t treat it like one.
Frame H-2B as a recruiting tool, not just a visa — Position H-2B the way ULS thinks about it: it’s how you find and vet the right workers. The best ones become your EB-3 candidates. When we run both, we can identify those workers earlier, prepare them sooner, and reduce the gap between seasonal and permanent. That’s the story.
Ask about their current H-2B setup — Who’s handling it now? How’s the experience? Are they getting strategy or just paperwork? This is where you find the opening. Most clients have a vendor they tolerate, not one they trust. You’re offering a relationship they already have with us on the EB-3 side.
Connect both programs into one workforce plan — Show them what it looks like when H-2B and EB-3 are coordinated. The September/October EB-3 push lines up naturally with end-of-season H-2B evaluation. Workers they want to retain go straight into the pipeline. One conversation, one team, one plan.
Make the ask simply and directly — You don’t need a complex close here. These clients already know us. Ask if they’d like to consolidate their H-2B with us, explain what the onboarding looks like, and give them a clear next step. Keep it clean.
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Who is currently handling your H-2B and how long have you been with them?
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How many H-2B workers do you file for each season, and across how many locations?
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Have you been happy with the results — approvals, timing, worker quality?
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Are you getting proactive strategy from them, or just paperwork and invoices?
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How do you currently identify which H-2B workers you want to keep long-term?
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Is there a handoff process today between your H-2B and your EB-3 pipeline?
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Are you planning to grow — new locations, more crews, expanded services?
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Do you know you can expand your H-2B cap by up to 15% per year?
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Have you explored Northern Triangle filings to get workers outside the cap?
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What would a better H-2B experience look like for your business?
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“We’re happy with who we have for H-2B.” That’s great — and I’m not here to create a problem where there isn’t one. The question is just whether having everything under one roof, with a team that already knows your EB-3 workers, gives you any advantage. Worth a 20-minute conversation to find out. |
“It seems complicated to switch mid-program.” We can time it around your natural renewal cycle so there’s no disruption. And because we’re already in your business on the EB-3 side, the onboarding is much lighter than starting from scratch with a new vendor. |
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“What’s different about how you’d handle it?” The biggest difference is the integration. We’re already managing your EB-3 pipeline, so we know your workers. When your H-2B season ends, we’re not starting from zero on who’s worth transitioning — we already have the relationship and the file. |
“What does it cost?” We’ll put together a proposal based on your specific headcount and locations. What I can tell you is that our approach is attorney-led with a full strategic audit included — not just a filing service. Let me get you the right numbers for your situation. |
