2,625 Applications for 51,158 Winter Positions — DOL Has Released the FY 2027 Assignment Groups
The winter H-2B lottery results are in. On July 8, 2026, the Department of Labor's Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) published the assignment groups for all H-2B applications filed during the July 3–5 filing window for jobs starting October 1, 2026 — the first half of fiscal year 2027.
If your business filed for winter-season workers, your application has been randomly placed into Assignment Group A or Group B. OFLC completed the randomization on July 6, 2026, and emailed written notice of each application's group to every employer (and their attorney or agent) the same day.
Here's what the results mean — and exactly what to do next, whichever group you landed in.
The Numbers at a Glance
- Applications received: 2,625 (during the July 3–5 filing window)
- Worker positions requested: 51,158
- Visas available: 33,000 (the statutory semi-annual allotment for October 1, 2026 – March 31, 2027)
- Assignment Group A: 1,881 applications — enough worker positions to reach the full 33,000-visa allotment
- Assignment Group B: 744 applications — the remaining filings
- Randomization completed: July 6, 2026
Demand once again far outstripped supply: employers requested more than one and a half times the number of visas available for the winter season.
How the Lottery Works
Every application filed during the three-day window was randomly assigned a unique number under OFLC's randomization process, then placed into a group in that order. Group A was filled first, cutting off at the point where the requested worker positions covered the 33,000-visa semi-annual cap. Everything after that line landed in Group B.
Your lottery group determines when DOL processes your application — it is not an approval or a denial. Group A applications are being assigned to National Processing Center analysts now; Group B applications wait in line behind them.
Landed in Group A? Here's What Happens Next
Group A applications are already being distributed to analysts for the issuance of Notices of Acceptance or Notices of Deficiency. For employers, that means:
- Watch for your Notice of Acceptance (NOA) or Notice of Deficiency (NOD). These typically start arriving within days of assignment.
- If you receive a NOD, respond fast. A deficiency doesn't kill your application, but a slow response can cost you your place in the processing queue at the worst possible time.
- Complete your recruitment steps on schedule. After acceptance, you'll run the required U.S. worker recruitment and submit your recruitment report before certification.
- Be ready to file your I-129 petition with USCIS the moment your Temporary Labor Certification is granted. The 33,000 visas are counted at the USCIS petition stage — a Group A slot positions you well, but the cap is only secured once petitions are approved.
Landed in Group B? It's Not a Denial
Group B means your application is queued behind Group A — nothing more. It still matters, though, because Group A alone contains enough requested positions to exhaust the 33,000-visa allotment. Realistically, Group B employers should plan on two fronts:
- Your application can still be reached. Positions open up when Group A applications are withdrawn, denied, or certified for fewer workers than requested. OFLC continues assigning cases as capacity frees up.
- Keep an eye on supplemental visas. In each of the past several years, DHS and DOL have released supplemental H-2B visas beyond the statutory cap — including 64,716 additional visas in FY 2026. Nothing has been announced for FY 2027 yet, but if history repeats, a supplemental allocation would be a second path for Group B employers. We covered how that process played out this year in our FY 2026 supplemental cap lottery results post.
Either way, don't sit still: keep your documentation current so you can move immediately if your case is assigned or a supplemental window opens.
Winter Demand Keeps Climbing
This is the second year running that the winter filing window has gone to a lottery — and the pressure is building:
- July 2025 (FY 2026 winter): 2,421 applications requesting roughly 47,500 positions
- July 2026 (FY 2027 winter): 2,625 applications requesting 51,158 positions — up about 8% year over year
Winter is still far less congested than the summer season — January's lottery for April 1, 2026 start dates drew over 10,000 applications requesting more than 162,000 positions. But the trend is clear: the winter window is getting more competitive every year, and a well-prepared, on-time filing is the single biggest factor you control.
Key Dates
- July 3–5, 2026: Filing window for October 1, 2026 start dates
- July 6, 2026: Randomization completed; group notices emailed to employers and their representatives
- July 8, 2026: OFLC published the full assignment group list
- Now – fall 2026: Group A processing (NOAs/NODs, recruitment, certification), followed by I-129 filings with USCIS
- October 1, 2026: First day of work for first-half FY 2027 H-2B employment
Official Government Resources
- DOL Office of Foreign Labor Certification — Announcements (July 8, 2026: randomized H-2B applications for October 1, 2026 start dates)
- USCIS: Cap Count for H-2B Nonimmigrants
Need Help?
For legal questions about your specific application, Notice of Deficiency, or petition strategy, we recommend consulting a qualified immigration attorney.
If you're an employer staring down an October 1 start date and you need vetted, reliable seasonal workers ready to go the moment your certification lands — that's where we come in. The JTP Agency is one of the largest H-2B recruiters in the country, and winter recruitment is our busiest season. The employers who get their worker pipelines locked in now are the ones fully staffed on day one.
Contact us to discuss your winter workforce needs — or browse our complete H-2B employer guide for a walkthrough of the entire process.
Workers: winter hiring is starting now — submit your resume free.