Citizens of countries that belong to the list of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), will be able to access the H-2A and H-2B visa program.
The designations were published on November 11, 2021, in the Federal Register, and will be effective until November 10, 2022. In this way, DHS, in consultation with the Secretary of State, identifies 85 countries whose citizens are eligible to participate in the H-2A program and 86 countries whose citizens are eligible to participate in the H-2B program, during the next year.
Among the Latin American countries that are part of both programs are: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. You can check the complete lists at the following link: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/11/10/2021-24534/identification-of-foreign-countries-whose-nationals-are-eligible-to-participate-in-the-h-2a-and-h-2b
The H-2A and H-2B visas, also known as non-immigrant work visas, allow companies in the United States to hire foreign nationals to work temporarily and legally in the country.
H-2A visas provide work opportunities related to agriculture and due to its proximity to the United States, Mexico is one of the countries most benefited by this type of visa. As reported by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), of the 65 thousand 716 visas that were issued in 2020, 74.7% were obtained by Mexicans.
On the other hand, H-2B visas provide employment opportunities in any other sector, other than agriculture.
In addition, to promote economic recovery in the United States, DHS announced in April 2021 that an additional 22,000 H2 visas would be provided, this so that companies that have problems with hiring personnel and filling vacancies can provide opportunities to workers. foreign.
For more information on both temporary work visa programs in the United States, see the following USCIS links:
