New Countries Eligible to Participate in the H-2A and H-2B Visa Programs

The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State have added four countries to the list of countries whose nationals are eligible to participate in the H-2A and H-2B Visa programs for the coming year. The countries added were Austria, Italy, Panama, and Thailand, bringing the total eligible countries to 63. Some of the other countries on the list include Latin American and Caribbean countries, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

The H-2A and H-2B Visa programs allow U.S. employers to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary agricultural and nonagricultural jobs, respectively. Generally, USCIS only approves H-2A and H-2B petitions for nationals of countries that have been designated as eligible to participate in the programs. However, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) may approve H-2A and H-2B petitions for nationals of other countries if it is determined to be in the interest of the United States.