H-2A Visa: Temporary Agricultural Work in the United States

The H-2A is for agricultural work that is temporary or seasonal, such as planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops, and some livestock work. The employer, not the worker, starts the process.

To be hired, you generally must:

• Have a job offer from a US agricultural employer (or an association or labor contractor) that has an approved temporary labor certification from the Department of Labor (DOL)
• Be a national of a country on the list DHS publishes each year of countries eligible for H-2A and H-2B, unless USCIS approves an exception in the US interest
• Intend to return home at the end of the job

Workers do not need a degree. The job itself sets the requirements, such as experience with certain crops or machinery. Browse open certified jobs on DOL's SeasonalJobs.dol.gov.

For non-farm seasonal work such as landscaping, hotels, or seafood processing, see the H-2B visa.

H-2A employers must meet worker protection rules enforced by DOL's Wage and Hour Division. Key protections:

DOL publishes AEWR rates by state and occupation; check the current rates on the DOL foreign labor certification site. You must receive a copy of your work contract in a language you understand.

No recruitment fees. Employers and their recruiters may not charge you fees to get the job. If someone asks you to pay for a job offer, that is a warning sign; read our guide on scam protection.

• You are admitted for the period on the labor certification, which is usually less than a year.
• The employer (or a new H-2A employer) can extend your stay in steps of up to 1 year.
• The maximum total stay is 3 years. After that, you must leave the United States for an uninterrupted period before you can return in H-2 status. USCIS explains the current rules on its H-2A page.

Your I-94 record may allow a short period before the job starts and after it ends so you can travel and prepare to leave. Check the date online, and do not work outside the dates of the approved petition.

You may only work for the employer and in the job listed in the approved petition. A new H-2A employer can hire you if it has its own approved labor certification and files a new petition.

Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 can apply for H-4 visas. They cannot work in the United States. Employer housing is usually provided for workers only, so plan family housing separately. Your family's stay ends when yours does. See the H-4 visa page for details.

Most costs fall on the employer.

Employers can read more in our H-2A employer guide and our page on hiring farm workers from abroad.

Employers usually start 60 to 75 days before the work start date. The job order goes to the State Workforce Agency and DOL, DOL decides on the certification, and USCIS then decides the Form I-129 petition. Check current times on the USCIS processing times tool. Workers then need a visa appointment; see the State Department's wait times.

Travel ban: since January 1, 2026, Proclamation 10998 blocks all visas, including H-2A, for nationals of 19 fully restricted countries. It does not list H-2A among the categories restricted for the 20 partially restricted countries.

The H-2A does not lead to a green card and requires intent to return home. Because farm jobs under H-2A are temporary, they do not usually support a green card case. A permanent, year-round job offer can sometimes support an EB-3 petition through PERM, but that is a separate process.

Visa refusals often involve:

• Past overstays or unauthorized work in the United States
• Doubts that you will return home after the season
• Nationality not on the H-2 eligible countries list, without an approved exception
• Inconsistent answers about your job, employer, or recruiter

If you have been in the United States without status before, speak with a licensed immigration lawyer before applying.