In the past year, the US Embassy in Kingston issued more than 17,000 visas for Jamaican workers in the H2A and H2B programmes.

Q. What is the history of the H-2 visa programme?

As the United States faced labour shortages during World War II, the US War Department facilitated an agreement that enabled Jamaicans to fill critical labour needs in the US agricultural sector. Today, this partnership continues through the formal H-2 temporary worker programme, and close employer-worker relationships mean that trained labour returns to employers year after year. In some cases, Jamaican employees have been returning to the same US employers for decades, underscoring the value of this programme. Jamaica ranks second only to Mexico in the total number of H-2 visa holders working in the United States.

Q. How does the US and Jamaica benefit from the H-2 programme?

Jamaica continues to send record numbers of workers to support the US agriculture and services sector. In the past year, the US Embassy Kingston issued more than 17,000 visas for Jamaican workers in the H2A and H2B programmes.

Many US employers prefer Jamaican employees due to Jamaica’s proximity to the United States, its English-speaking workforce, and the country’s established role in the hospitality industry.

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 more than US$200 million in earnings to Jamaican homes, families, and farms each year.

H2A—Agriculture Workers

The H-2A programme ensures food security for the United States, a critical priority for the country. Approximately 5,000 Jamaicans participate in the H2A farm worker programme annually, making Jamaica one of the top providers of H2A workers. These farm workers support the US agriculture industry by harvesting apples, cherries, berries, ginger, and other high-value crops. US farmers benefit greatly from the expertise Jamaican workers bring, many of whom have worked on the same farms year after year.

H2B—Non-agriculture Workers

The non-agriculture work programme is also vital. Over 12,000 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. Jamaican H2B workers support the services industry from coast to coast.

All applicants for H-2 visas must have an approved petition from the office of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and a job offer from a United States employer in order to proceed with their candidacies.

You can find more information about how to travel to the United States on our website, https://jm.usembassy.gov/ and the website of our authorised service provider at www.usvisa-info.com http://www.usvisa-info.com. Keep on top of embassy news on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/pages/US-Embassy-Jamaica http://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.