Final Rule for H2A Visa Program Issued

February 11, 2010  The US Department of Labor issued the final rule for the H2A visa program.

The new rule ensures that U.S. workers in the same occupation working for the same employer, regardless of date of hire, receive no less than the same wage as foreign workers; provides more transparency by creating a national electronic job registry where job orders will be posted through 50 percent of the contract period; and protects against worker abuses by prohibiting cost-shifting from the employer to the worker for recruitment fees, visa fees, border crossing fees and other U.S. government mandated fees.

The full press release can be found here and the Federal Register entry can be found here.  Reaction to the final rule by the United Farm Workers union has been mostly positive.

“The United Farm Workers applauds Secretary Solis for restoring protections for imported farm workers that had been in effect since the Reagan administration. This is a great victory for all farm workers,” said Arturo S. Rodriguez, UFW president.