H2A Visa Program Services and Process
Getting your H2A employees on the payroll
Full-Service H2A Program Management for U.S. Farms and Ag Businesses
USA Farm Labor specializes in helping farms and ag businesses fill their seasonal labor gap by providing end-to-end management of the H2A Visa Program process and putting a reliable seasonal workforce at your fingertips. From confirming you qualify, ensuring you meet H2A employer requirements and H2A rules and regulations, and filing the necessary paperwork to get your Temporary Labor Certification to providing access to our exclusive database that houses thousands of verified ag workers, filing visa petitions, handling worker travel and arrival logistics, and supporting you and your workers throughout the entire season—our expert team makes finding the reliable seasonal farm labor you need as seamless and simple as possible. We serve a wide range of H2A employers including Crop Farms, Livestock Farms, Farm Labor Contractors (FLC), Custom Harvesters, Nurseries, Beekeepers, and more.
They Truly Care About Our Success
“It’s safe to say we chose USA Farm Labor because they truly care about our success. Everyone we talked to and dealt with … processing, coordinators, were just so caring, it seemed they cared as much as we do.”
Valerie (Hutchinson, KS)
Your step-by-step H2A program process
Step 1: Submit your H2A application to us
Your Onboarding Consultant takes the time to get to know you, your business, and your specific needs around H2A labor. They’ll educate you on everything from eligibility, H2A employer requirements, and program requirements to your timeline and costs, so you can make an informed decision.
Once we know you have all the H2A employer requirements in place and are ready to move forward, you’ll get credentials to log into our proprietary database and resource hub to:
Complete your profile
Submit your H2A application to us (this starts the clock)
Start reviewing the resumes and skills of 6,000-plus verified, skilled H2A employees at any given time
Step 2: Get your Temporary Labor Certification
You’ll be assigned a Case Manager who’ll manage everything involved with getting your Temporary Labor Certification, enabling you to hire seasonal, foreign H2A employees. This includes:
Verifying the information and documents in your profile and H2A application
Fine-tuning your Statement of Need and Job Descriptions
Helping you avoid common pitfalls
Preparing and submitting all documents and forms via the Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) system on your behalf to meet necessary deadlines:
ETA-790 goes to your State Workforce Agency (SWA)—This includes worksites, hours, days, and job duties and serves as your Job Order and official work contract
9142A goes to the Department of Labor (DOL)
Applying best practices to avoid delays and Notices of Deficiency, and resolving them on your behalf
Monitoring the Notice of Approval
Receiving your approved Temporary Labor Certification
User-Friendly
“I love that it gives me step-by-step instructions for filling out and submitting the required forms. I’ve spoken with other farmers in my area about their experiences with other companies and the databases at other firms aren’t nearly as user-friendly.
Valerie (Hutchinson, KS)
Step 3: Prepare for the arrival of your H2A employees
Once you get your Temporary Labor Certification and are actively interviewing workers, you’ll be assigned a Worker Placement Coordinator (WPC) who’ll support you and your workers through your entire season. This includes:
Being a bridge between you, recruiters, consulates, and workers
Handling consulate and travel arrangements
Coordinating worker arrival, including providing worker arrival documents
Reaching out periodically throughout your contract to ensure everything is going smoothly
Helping to resolve any questions, concerns, or conflicts
Our goal is to provide the opportunity for you to build lasting relationships with your workers. Read how Cheryl provided a space for a husband-and-wife team of H2A employees to thrive and grow on the Schilling’s farm.
Building Relationships
Step 4: Satisfy the H2A housing requirements
Your USA Farm Labor Case Manager will help you comply with all H2A housing requirements, and assist with getting your housing inspection completed.
Far Beyond My Expectations
“Everyone I spoke with went far beyond my expectations to help me through the process!”
Vest (New Madrid, MO)
Step 5: Secure H2A visas for your H2A employees
Our United States Citizenship Immigration Services (USCIS) Team manages your visa petitions, so you can legally bring the seasonal foreign H2A employees you’ve selected over to America to work for you. This involves preparing the necessary H2A visa paperwork (I-129 form) and submitting it to USCIS, so your H2A labor arrives on your farm on time. This process takes roughly 15 days.
Hiring seasonal H2A employees to provide services to other farmers?
A farmer’s work is never done. Services like spraying fertilizer or pesticides, crop dusting, building barns or fences, custom harvesting, and installing irrigation or drainage systems are invaluable. If you deliver these types of services, you probably qualify as a Farm Labor Contractor (FLC). USA Farm Labor has an entire department dedicated to saving you thousands of hours by managing the processes of both hiring your H2A employees as well as satisfying the additional requirements as a Farm Labor Contractor or Custom Harvester.
Learn more about additional Farm Labor Contractor requirements.
Looking to switch from your current H2A agency?
No problem. Just provide us with your current ETA 790 and we’ll make sure everything’s in good order going forward. You’ll find we do things a little different—from assigning a Case Manager who handles your H2A application process from beginning to end, to giving you access to our proprietary database that puts 6,000-plus verified, skilled H2A employees at your fingertips. We can’t wait to serve you with excellence.