DAILY SUBSISTENCE RATES FOR H-2B WORKERS

Daily Subsistence Amounts for Workers Traveling

An H-2B employer is responsible for providing, paying in advance, or reimbursing a worker for the reasonable costs of transportation and daily subsistence between the place of employment and the place from which the worker has come to work for the employer—if the worker completes 50 percent of the job order period—and upon the worker completing the job order period or being dismissed early (for any reason), return costs as well.

Subsistence rates are issued each year in February, and Employers must pay the current rates to their H-2B workers.

CURRENT DAILY RATES:

Until the Department of Labor publishes a new dollar amount, the employer must pay the following dollar amount(s) for daily subsistence while traveling: 

Minimum: $ 15.88 per day(1)
Maximum: $ 59.00 per day(2) (with documentation of actual expenses) 

The employer must also provide or pay the reasonable costs for lodging where lodging is necessary. If not provided by the employer, the amount an employer must pay for transportation and, where necessary, lodging must be no less than (and is not required to be more than) the most economical and reasonable costs.