Are you a farmer who needs seasonal or temporary workers for planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops but domestic workers are in short supply? The H-2A temporary agricultural workers program – often called the H-2A visa program - helps American farmers fill employment gaps by hiring workers from other countries.

Illinois Specialty Growers Association in partnership with Illinois Farm Bureau hosted an H2A Labor Visa Roundtable with the El Salvador Consulate. The hybrid roundtable was geared toward growers and covered details of the visa program established through a 2020 agreement between the U.S. and El Salvador. Under the U.S. - El Salvador agreement, Salvadorans may apply for H2A visas to work in 10-month, temporary agricultural jobs. A database of 50,000 Salvadoran profiles has been compiled and includes ag workers with field experience with corn, vegetables, fruit, beans, coffee and sugar crops. There is no recruitment fee. The El Salvador Consulate will take selected workers to the U.S. consulate for approval. The recruitment and visa process takes 21 or fewer days.

For more information on the H2A Visa Program visit the USDA H-2A Visa Program resource page. Please note, that it is our goal to provide additional farmer resources.