This archive report was first published on 15 November 2019.
On November 15, 2019, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a policy memorandum that aims to safeguard the integrity of the H-2A program.
The memo calls for foreign workers seeking temporary jobs in the US as H-2A nonimmigrant goat/sheep herders to meet the same requirements as other temporary agricultural workers.
According to USCIS, this change will support consistency and fairness while protecting the interests of U.S. workers, including their wages and job opportunities.
Applicants for a H-2A visa as a goat/sheep herder must possess at least 1-3 months of experience in sheepherding or similar occupations involving the range tending and production of livestock.
As defined by the Department of Labor, the job description of a H-2A goat/sheep herder includes attending to the flock, herding, and guarding them from predators and poisonous plants, as well as assisting in lambing, docking, and shearing.
The H-2A program allows US employers to bring in foreign nationals to fill temporary/seasonal agricultural jobs, provided they demonstrate that there are not enough US workers available and that the H-2A workers will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of similarly employed U.S. workers.
