Dairy Companies Can Now Apply for H-2A Temporary Agricultural Worker Visas

Employers applying for such worker visas must prove an existing labor shortage.

Cows graze in a field at a dairy farm in Petaluma, Calif., on April 26, 2024. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor have issued new guidance clarifying that dairy businesses nationwide can employ foreign nationals through the H-2A temporary visa program.

The H-2A Temporary Agricultural Worker program issues visas to applicants performing temporary or seasonal agricultural work in the United States. However, this posed challenges to dairy farmers.