H-2A Program Growth Renews Labor Reform Conversation
The H-2A guest worker program is growing quickly, but many producers say it’s still operating under rules written for a very different time.
The American Farm Bureau Federation says use of the H-2A temporary agricultural visa program is up 17% so far in fiscal year 2026. Another number that stands out: fewer than seven one-hundredths of one percent of those jobs received a domestic applicant. For many farms, filling those positions means relying on workers from outside the United States, many of whom return season after season to help keep agricultural operations running.
The H-2A program allows U.S. farms to bring in foreign workers for temporary agricultural jobs. But Congress hasn’t passed major farm labor reforms since the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, nearly 40 years ago.
Now lawmakers are considering changes. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Representative G.T. Thompson’s Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act would limit year-over-year wage increases, streamline the application process, and expand eligibility to year-round agricultural employers, including many dairy and livestock operations.
For a breakdown of the policies and the particulars, head to https://www.fb.org/intel/policy/securing-agricultures-workforce
