By Christian Valencia and Nick Paulson
University of Illinois
The H-2A program allows eligible employers in the U.S. an avenue to request and hire foreign workers to fill temporary agricultural jobs. Applicants must be certified and demonstrate a lack of willing, qualified, and available U.S. workers to fill the temporary roles and that the wages and working conditions available to similarly employed U.S. workers will not be adversely affected.
Application numbers tend to be the largest in states like Texas, Louisiana, and North Dakota but requests are for smaller numbers of workers per application compared with the leading authorized worker areas.