Farmers nationwide are frustrated with the federal H-2A visa program for seasonal agricultural workers. Most of the complaints center on the amount of what one farmer in Idaho is calling "minutiae" and an abundance of paperwork, reports Sean Cockerham of the Kansas City Star.
It's a growing problem, according to Michaelene Rowe of the Snake River Farmers Association, an Idaho-based group that helps farms with visa issues. Getting a temporary H-2A visa for a foreign farm worker to enter the U.S. is a confusing and painful process for an employer who is trying to follow the rules and only hire legal workers, Rowe said. "This is counterproductive to the national discussion and political rhetoric related to the need to employ only legally documented workers."
Employers say that to use the program they have to deal with multiple agencies, including the Department of Labor, the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department. Farmers recently sent a letter to six U.S. senators asking for relief. The Labor Department says it has been working with farmers to process applications more efficiently.
It's a growing problem, according to Michaelene Rowe of the Snake River Farmers Association, an Idaho-based group that helps farms with visa issues. Getting a temporary H-2A visa for a foreign farm worker to enter the U.S. is a confusing and painful process for an employer who is trying to follow the rules and only hire legal workers, Rowe said. "This is counterproductive to the national discussion and political rhetoric related to the need to employ only legally documented workers."
Employers say that to use the program they have to deal with multiple agencies, including the Department of Labor, the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department. Farmers recently sent a letter to six U.S. senators asking for relief. The Labor Department says it has been working with farmers to process applications more efficiently.
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