Greenway Trades Council
Seasonal Labor Visa ReportNo. 6 · September 2026
Seasonal Labor Visa Report · LandscapingData to September 15, 2026
The October cap fills before most crews have filed
Certified landscaping positions rose 4 percent in the first nine months of fiscal year 2026, and the visa cap for start dates from October was reached on September 9
1Certified positions by state
Certifications for landscaping employers are running ahead of last year in every state we break out. The five largest states hold 56 percent of certified positions, and the 2,583 employers certified so far compares with 2,470 at the same point last year.1
| State | Positions | Employers | Median wage | On FY2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 9,840 | 412 | $16.10 | +6% |
| Florida | 6,120 | 288 | $15.40 | +4% |
| Colorado | 4,380 | 241 | $19.20 | +9% |
| North Carolina | 3,950 | 219 | $16.80 | +3% |
| Virginia | 3,210 | 187 | $17.60 | +5% |
| Other states | 21,500 | 1,236 | $18.30 | +2% |
| All states | 49,000 | 2,583 | $17.40 | +4% |
Source: Department of Labor certification disclosure files, fiscal years 2025 and 2026 to June 30, Greenway Trades Council landscaping classification
Source: Department of Labor certification disclosure files, fiscal years 2025 and 2026 to June 30, Greenway Trades Council landscaping classification
2Cap alerts
Certification does not secure a visa. The statutory cap of 33,000 visas for each half of the fiscal year was reached for every allocation this year, and the supplemental allocations published in April were claimed within seven weeks.2
| Allocation | Visas | Opened | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second half, FY2026 | 33,000 | Jan 2, 2026 | Reached, lottery held |
| Supplemental, returning workers | 18,500 | Apr 14, 2026 | Reached May 29 |
| Supplemental, other workers | 6,000 | Apr 14, 2026 | Reached May 6 |
| First half, FY2027 | 33,000 | Jul 1, 2026 | Reached Sep 9 |
Source: USCIS cap announcements and Federal Register notices to September 15, 2026
Source: Department of Labor filing statistics and USCIS cap announcements
3Against our Compensation Benchmark
4What to watch before January
The disclosure file for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2026, due in November, any supplemental visa rule for fiscal year 2027, and the January filing window for April start dates, where we expect requests to exceed four positions per visa.
How this report is built
- Landscaping means certifications classified to landscaping and groundskeeping occupations, checked against the employer's stated business
- Positions are counted when certified, not when requested, and withdrawn certifications are removed
- Cap status is taken only from USCIS announcements and Federal Register notices, never from agent or press reports
Approved for subscribersLuis OrtegaDirector of Workforce Policy · September 18, 2026
1 The Department of Labor publishes disclosure files about six weeks after quarter end, so position counts run to June 30, 2026.
2 The first half of the fiscal year covers start dates from October to March and the second half covers start dates from April to September.