In our final installment on nonimmigrant visas, we deal with the H-2A visa for temporary agricultural workers.  This visa is one of the most controversial, with growers claiming its restrictions make it impractical and farmworker advocates claiming that it does not provide sufficient protections for US workers and leaves foreign workers open to abuse and mistreatment.  The last time any substantial revisions were made to the program was in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

Requirements

There are two general requirements to obtain workers on H-2A visas.  First, the employer must demonstrate that there are not sufficient able, willing and qualified US workers available at the time and place needed.  Second, the employer must show the use of foreign workers will not create an adverse effect on the wages or working conditions of similarly employed US workers.  Farmworkers generally receive either an hourly wage or are paid by the piece.  However, under the H-2A program H-2A workers must be offered the same wage as US workers.  This has been interpreted to mean the higher of the following:

·        The industry’s prevailing wage in the relevant labor market,

·        The state or federal minimum wage, or

·        The “adverse effect wage rate”

The adverse effect wage rate, or AEWR, is currently set at the prior year’s average hourly wage for agricultural and livestock workers determined by the Department of Agriculture.  For workers who are paid by the piece, if their wages are not equal to the AEWR, the employer must make up the difference.  On or before each day when the H-2A worker is paid, the employer must provide the worker with an earnings statement detailing the alien’s total earnings, whether the alien is paid hourly or by the piece, the hours of work offered, and the hours actually worked.

Employers are required to provide H-2A workers with a number of benefits. 

·        The employee must be provided with transportation to and from the worker’s temporary home to the workplace. 

·        When the contract period is up, the employer must provide the worker with transportation home or to their next workplace. 

·        Employers must provide housing to all H-2A workers who do not commute.  The housing must be inspected by the Department of Labor and must meet minimum federal standards for temporary labor camps. 

·        The employer must either provide three meals a day or facilities in which the worker can prepare food. 

·        The employer must also provide any tools and supplies necessary to perform the work. 

·        The employer must also provide workers’ compensation insurance to H-2A workers. 

Procedures

An application for an H-2A worker begins with the Department of Labor.  Two copies of form ETA-750 are filed, one of which is sent to the appropriate DOL region, the other to the state employment service agency for the state in which work is sought.  The application must be submitted at least 60 days before the temporary workers are needed.  The DOL must approve it 20 days before the starting work date.  If approved, the employer pays a base fee of $100 plus $10 for each position certified, up to a maximum of $1000.

The DOL directs recruitment efforts for H-2A positions.  There are three types of possible recruitment:  the state employment service agency can refer candidates to the employer, the employer can conduct independent recruitment, and recruitment can be conducted after the DOL certifies the applications.  Most referrals come from the state agencies.  While the statute requires growers to recruit US workers, DOL regulations do not strictly enforce this requirement.  For this reason, employers heavily recruit for more H-2A workers while virtually ignoring available US workers.

After the recruitment period, the DOL makes a decision on certification.  It will subtract the number of US workers who were successfully referred from the number of H-2A workers requested and certify the remaining job openings. 

Certification will not be issued if the DOL determines that US workers have filled all the job openings, or if it finds that the potential H-2A workers have been offered better working conditions that those offered to US workers.  Certification will also not be granted if there is a strike or lockout, if the employer has committed a substantial violation of the H-2A program within the previous two years, if the employer fails to demonstrate that H-2A workers will be covered by workers’ compensation, or if the employer fails to comply with recruitment requirements.

If the certification is granted, an application is then filed with the INS.  The application may be filed for multiple workers, and the workers may be unnamed on the application.  The employer must provide the INS with their names as they become available.  If the INS approved the petition, notification is forwarded to the appropriate consulate where the workers apply for visas.

An H-2A visa is generally valid for a maximum of one year.  Extensions of up to one year are possible, with a maximum of three years.  Once an alien has spent three years in the US in H-2A status, they must leave for six months before being able to resume H-2A employment.  During this time the alien can reenter the US in any status that is not based on the performance of agricultural work. 

Every two years a report on the H-2A program must be provided to Congress.  This report must include the number of H-2A workers admitted each year, information on employer compliance, the impact of the H-2A program on labor needs, wages and working conditions, as well as recommendations on how to improve the program.  So far, however, despite much debate, there have been no significant changes in the program since 1986.

Disclaimer: This newsletter is provided as a public service and not intended to establish an attorney client relationship. Any reliance on information contained herein is taken at your own risk.