H-2A
Final H-2A rule tightens compliance, housing provisions
The Department of Labor has released its final rule for the H-2A temporary labor program, which is increasingly being used by specialty crop farmers as labor shortages force them to turn to the federal program... more »
USDA seeks input on H-2A labor program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a new grant program it says will address labor shortages in agriculture, reduce irregular migration through increased use of legal pathways, and improve labor protections for farmworkers. USDA’s Farm... more »
Mexican official: U.S. to issue 300K temporary work visas
The U.S. plans to issue 300,000 temporary work visas to migrants from Mexico and Central America, according to a senior Mexican official. Interior Minister Adán Augusto López Hernández said half of the visas will go... more »
H-2A temporary ag worker demand surges
Recently released data from the U.S. Department of Labor reflects surging demand for temporary agricultural employees under the H-2A program. DOL data for the first two quarters of Fiscal Year 2022 indicate that program applications... more »
USDOL recovers $225K in back wages for ag workers in California
Migrant workers in the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program provide critical seasonal labor on farms across California, spending weeks away from home doing the grueling work needed to support the state’s $49 billion agricultural industry.... more »
USCIS launches H-2A Employer Data Hub
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has launched an H-2A Employer Data Hub to provide information to the public on employers or agents petitioning for H-2A workers. The data hub is part of USCIS' continued... more »
NCAE Column: If you’re using H-2A, pay attention to the details
I guess you have never really heard it all. A couple of months back, I wrote an article describing some of the frustrations farmers and ranchers experience when faced with government bureaucracy. It seems as... more »
Latest in visa and housing news to be shared at 2019 EXPO
After the proposed H-2C visas failed to gain support from the legislature, changes to H-2A and H-2B visas were revisited. The changes and new considerations growers need to make will be the focus of several... more »
Great Lakes EXPO speakers to cover labor environment
It isn’t news to growers that the agri-labor market is a challenge. The shortage in able-bodied workers and difficulty filling H-2A visas, plus the added financial burdens included in requirements for utilizing H-2A workers, makes... more »
For growers using H-2A labor, housing tops difficulties
Growers using the H-2A visa program for seasonal labor say it’s working, but among the program’s most difficult rules are its housing requirements. At a panel discussion at the Northwest Michigan Orchard and Vineyard Show... more »
