H-2A Temporary Agricultural Workers Visa
Through the H-2A program, US employers can bring foreign nationals into the United States for agricultural work and associated jobs. There are two basic requirements of the program:
Employers must meet regulatory requirements and must file a petition for non-immigrant worker on behalf of the prospective worker
The visa applicant must be a citizen of eligible countries under the program
Below table lists the eligible countries under the H-2A program.
| Argentina | El Salvador | Jamaica | Norway | South Korea |
| Australia | Estonia | Japan | Panama | Spain |
| Austria | Ethiopia | Kiribati | Papua New Guinea | Switzerland |
| Barbados | Fiji | Latvia | Peru | Thailand |
| Belize | Grenada | Lithuania | The Philippines | Tonga |
| Brazil | Guatemala | Macedonia | Poland | Turkey |
| Bulgaria | Haiti | Mexico | Romania | Tuvalu |
| Canada | Honduras | Moldova | Samoa | Ukraine |
| Chile | Hungary | Montenegro | Serbia | United Kingdom |
| Costa Rica | Iceland | Nauru | Slovakia | Uruguay |
| Croatia | Ireland | The Netherlands | Slovenia | Vanuatu |
| Dominican Republic | Israel | Nicaragua | Solomon Islands | |
| Ecuador | Italy | New Zealand | South Africa |
Other that these, petitioner employers must prove the following to immigration authorities:
They are offering the job only on temporary or seasonal basis
They could not find a good match locally for the offered job
Hiring foreign nationals would not affect the wages and working conditions for native workers
Along with H-2A petition, they also need to provide a valid temporary labor certification issued by US Department of Labor
Usually, the H-2A visa remains valid for the period of time the petition is filed. In many cases, it can be extended for up to 1 year. The maximum extension can be granted for 3 years. And for each extension a new labor certification needs to be submitted. Applicants who have already held the H-2A visa for a period of 3 years need to depart and remain outside the US for a minimum period of 3 months, before they can apply for another H-2A visa.
With Go For Visa’s professional assistance, applicants can cross the hurdles of immigration process easily. Here is how we make the process easy for our clients:
Ensuring the eligibility
Helping hiring employers in obtaining the labor certification
Assisting clients in getting the visa extension
To know more about H- 2A visa or your eligibility for the visa, contact Go For Visa.
