The following information and resources was provided by the National Onion Association (NOA) involving the Coronavirus and its effects on various aspects of the ag industry.
DHS travel ban with Mexico issued until April 20
The latest information we have on the temporary travel ban with Mexico is that it does not restrict those considered “essential” to the workforce. Essential workers in our industry include farm workers involved in growing and packaging food. See the full list of essential workers here.
H2-A Workforce Issues/Visas
You can check for regular updates on H2-A here.
Highlights of the page:
- USDA and DOL have identified nearly 20,000 H-2A and H-2B certified positions that have expiring contracts in the coming weeks. There will be workers leaving these positions who could be available to transfer to a different employer’s labor certification.
- Department of Labor updates
- Guidance on border closures
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Write: Aglabor@usda.gov
The State Department will continue to process and prioritize H2A visas for returning workers; 92% of them come from Mexico.
Consult Embassy web sites of relevant country.
See Farmers.gov for H2A visa matters.
