North Carolina, Raleigh-  One of the most frequently asked questions among people who want to travel to do agricultural work in the United States is what the requirements are to obtain an H-2A visa, the temporary employment program for migrant agricultural workers.

“Due to the context we are experiencing, more and more people are looking for an opportunity to migrate to the United States temporarily,” they explained to Enlace Latino  NC   specialists of the Migrant Rights Center (CDM), a non-profit, non-governmental organization that provides legal services and advice to H-2A workers. 

Indeed, despite the pandemic and in many cases precarious working conditions, in the last decade the number of H-2A visas tripled. 

For this reason, the CDM, through its contracted.org site, prepared a explanatory video with the requirements to obtain an H-2A visa for migrant agricultural workers.

Requirements to obtain an H-2A visa

1-  First of all, it is necessary to take into account that the H2A visa granting process must be initiated by the employer in the United States. It is precisely the employer who must request permission from the Departments of Labor and Internal Security to hire foreigners on a temporary basis.

This application, which must be completed by the employer and not the worker, is known as a “nonimmigrant worker petition” or form I-129. All the details of the employment are contained there, such as the name of the company, the place of work, the period of time and the salary.

2- Once the Departments of Labor and Homeland Security review the request and authorize it, they provide a certificate to the employer. Typically, employers then hire a recruiter or recruiting agency to recruit workers in their home communities.

3- Recruitment agencies or recruiters recruit workers through social media, advertisements, or physical visits in communities.

As the CDM warns, many workers are summoned by false recruiters who seek to scam them. For this reason, it is essential at this stage to pay special attention to avoid fraud.

It is only necessary to mention the name of the employer, state or place of work, type of visa or type of employment, and period of employment during the call. With this data, CDM specialists can confirm if the H-2A position actually exists or if it is a fraud.

4- Once the job offer has been verified and the worker accepts the offer, an appointment is made with the consulate for an interview. In the case of Mexico There are 7 United States consulates that process H2A visas. They are located in Tijuana, Nogales, Hermosillo, Ciudad Juárez, Nuevo Laredo, Monterrey and Matamoros.

Do you have H2A Visa?

We tell you everything you need to know to safely return to work in the United States next year. Click here.

5 -In all cases it is necessary to have a valid passport and complete the application DS-160. In addition, payment of the visa fee is required, the amount of which is $190 dollars. However, it is common for the employer to take care of the payment.

In any case, to avoid scams it is important to know that the right to a visa is only deposited in the official accounts of the consulate. In Mexico, the accounts are Citibanamex, 023-3047007, or Scotiabank 4244, in the name of CSRA México. 

6 -The worker must travel to the city where the consulate is located. First of all, he must go to the Applicant Service Center (CAS) to take fingerprints and photograph. Then he must appear for the appointment for the interview with the American consul. The consul informs at the appointment about the approval or rejection of the visa.

7 -If the agricultural work visa was granted, begin the trip to the United States. In most cases the employer provides transportation for migrant agricultural workers to the workplace.

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What are the requirements to obtain an H-2A visa for agricultural workers?

by Nicolas Baintrub, Enlace Latino NC
October 21, 2021

Enlace Latino NC October 21, 2021 North Carolina, Raleigh - One of the most frequently asked questions among people wishing to travel to the United States to perform agricultural work is what the requirements are for obtaining an H-2A visa, the temporary employment program for migrant agricultural workers. "Due to the context we are experiencing, more and more people are looking for an opportunity to migrate to the United States temporarily," they explained toEnlace LatinoNC specialists from the Migrant Rights Center (CDM), a non-governmental, non-profit organization that provides legal services and advice to H-2A workers. Indeed, despite the pandemic and in many cases precarious working conditions, the number of H-2A visas tripled in the last decade. Therefore, the CDM, through its website contratos.org, produced an explanatory video with the requirements to obtain an H-2A visa for migrant agricultural workers. Requirements to obtain an H-2A visa 1- First of all, it is necessary to keep in mind that the H2A visa granting process must be initiated by the employer in the United States. It is the employer who must request permission from the Departments of Labor and Homeland Security to hire foreigners on a temporary basis. This application, which must be completed by the employer and not the worker, is known as a “petition for a nonimmigrant worker” or Form I-129 . All the details of the job are contained there, such as the name of the company, the place of work, the period of time and the salary. 2- Once the Departments of Labor and Homeland Security review the petition and authorize it, they issue a certificate to the employer. Typically, employers then hire a recruiter or recruiting agency to recruit workers from their home communities. 3- Recruitment agencies or recruiters call for workers through social networks, advertisements or physical visits in communities. As CDM warns, many workers are recruited by false recruiters who seek to scam them. For this reason, it is essential at this stage to pay special attention to avoid fraud . Avoid fraud CDM offers assistance in verifying job offers before paying or submitting identification documents by calling the following lines: ● 2-343-100 (toll free from Mexico) ● 255,190,0-0-215,150,0-100 (toll free from the US) It is only necessary to mention during the call the name of the employer, state or place of work, type of visa or type of employment and period of employment. With this information, CDM specialists can confirm whether the H-2A position actually exists or whether it is a fraud. 4- Once the job offer has been verified and the worker accepts the offer, an appointment is requested at the consulate for an interview. In the case of Mexico , there are 2 United States consulates that process H7A visas . They are located in Tijuana, Nogales, Hermosillo, Ciudad Juárez, Nuevo Laredo, Monterrey and Matamoros. Do you have an H2A visa? We'll tell you everything you need to know to safely return to work in the United States next year. Click here. 2 -In all cases it is necessary to have a valid passport and complete the DS-5 application. Additionally, a visa fee of $190 is required. However, it is often the employer who is responsible for payment. In any case, to avoid scams it is important to know that visa fees are only deposited into official consulate accounts. In Mexico, the accounts are Citibanamex, 023-3047007, or Scotiabank 4244, in the name of CSRA Mexico. 6 -The worker must move to the city where the consulate is located. First, you must go to the Applicant Service Center (CAS) to have your fingerprints and photograph taken. You must then appear at your appointment for an interview with the American consul. The consul will inform you at the appointment whether the visa is approved or rejected. 7 - If you were granted an agricultural work visa, begin the journey to the United States. In most cases, the employer provides transportation for migrant farm workers to the workplace. This <a target="_blank" href="https://enlacelatinonc.org/cuales-son-los-requisitos-para-obtener-una-visa-h-2a-para-trabajadores-agricolas/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://enlacelatinonc.org">Enlace Latino NCand is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: "https://enlacelatinonc.org/cuales-son-los-requisitos-para-obtener-una-visa-h-4.0a-para-trabajadores-agricolas/", urlref: window.location.href }); } }

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