Even in the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic, 18,000 workers travelled from Jamaica to support the US agriculture and services sectors last year; a record for US Embassy Jamaica. The top 10 states that employ H-2 Jamaican workers are New York, Florida, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Maine, Michigan, Washington, Vermont, Colorado, and Connecticut. US businesses benefit from well-qualified returning workers who bring skills and historical knowledge. Jamaica’s economy reaps benefits as well with many workers sending home portions of their salary in remittances. H-2 workers bring an estimated US$100 million in earnings to Jamaican homes, families, and farms each year.

H-2A — Agriculture Workers

The H-2A programme ensures food security for the United States. Approximately 5,000 Jamaicans participate in the H-2A farm worker program annually. These farm workers support the US agriculture industry by harvesting apples, cherries, berries, ginger, and other high-value crops.

H-2B — Non-agriculture Workers

The non-agriculture work programme is also vital. Over 10,000 Jamaicans travel to the US annually to work in the hospitality and landscaping sectors. These seasonal workers support the US tourism industry in clubs, hotels, and resorts for several months out of the year.

Q. Do H-2 visa workers qualify for the Interview Waiver Program even if they have never applied before?

Yes, H-2A and H-2B workers qualify for the Interview Waiver Program (IWP) as renewals and as first-timers. However, if the applicant’s last application was a refusal, they must apply for an in-person interview. It doesn’t matter if the last application was a refusal under the B1/B2 visa or any other visa class. If an applicant attempts to apply via the IWP option, we will return the passport and ask the applicant to schedule an in-person interview.

Q. When can H-2 workers travel to the United States and when do they depart the United States?

H-2 workers can only apply for admission to the US at a port-of entry:

H-2A: One week before the start of the petition

H-2B: 10 days before the start of the petition

H-2 workers must depart the US prior to their “Admit Until Date” as this is the expiration date of a traveller’s immigration status. The entry stamp issued by the immigration officer at the port-of-entry upon arrival to the United States will indicate the “Admit Until Date”.

H-2 workers can visit www.cbp.gov/i94 to find their “Admit Until Date”. Applicants who believe they received an incorrect “Admit Until Date” should clarify the matter with CBP at the port-of-entry or at a CBP deferred inspection site. H-2 workers must inform their employer of their “Admit Until Date”. H-2 workers are not authorized to work after the expiration of the petition unless there is an approved extension of stay from US Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Q: What else should I know about the H-2 work visa?

It is important that all H-2 workers abide by US state and federal laws during their time in the United States. Criminal activity in the US can result in visa revocation, arrest, imprisonment, and/or deportation. For example, knowingly facilitating or helping others facilitate a fraud scheme is a crime. If you aid the scheme and/or its operators by sending or receiving proceeds, you could be subject to civil enforcement actions or criminal prosecution. Moreover, if you continue sending/receiving proceeds and merely change your methods of transmitting those proceeds, this may be viewed as your seeking to hide your involvement in the scheme and you could face additional penalties under federal and/or state laws. Finally, by transmitting funds you may be unlawfully serving as a money service business in violation of state laws and Department of Treasury regulations.

You can find more information about how to travel to the United States on our website, jm.usembassy.gov/ and the website of our authorized service provider at www.usvisa-info.com. Keep on top of Embassy news on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/pages/US-Embassy-Jamaica and by following @USEmbassyJA on Twitter. We also answer general visa questions on our Facebook and Twitter pages. 

For safety and security reasons, the U.S. Embassy asks that all individuals be masked and observe proper social distancing.