Temporary Agricultural Employment of H-2A Foreign Workers in the Herding or Production of Livestock on the Range in the United States

The Department of Labor is issuing regulations to govern its certification of the employment of nonimmigrant workers in temporary or seasonal agricultural employment under the H-2A program. Specifically, these regulations establish standards and procedures for employers seeking to hire foreign temporary agricultural workers for job opportunities in herding and production of livestock on the range. These regulations are consistent with the Secretary of Labor's statutory responsibility to certify that there are not sufficient able, willing, qualified and available U.S. workers to perform these jobs, and that the employment of foreign workers will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of workers in the United States similarly employed. Among the issues addressed in these regulations are the qualifying criteria for employing foreign workers in the applicable job opportunities, preparing job orders, program obligations of employers, filing of H-2A applications requesting temporary labor certification for range occupations, recruiting U.S. workers, determining the minimum offered wage rate, and the minimum standards for housing used on the range. The regulations establish a single set of standards and procedures applicable to employers seeking to hire foreign temporary agricultural workers for sheep and goat herding and range production of livestock, given the unique characteristics of these job opportunities in their industry.