Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
This FAQ section covers essential information for workers, employers, and agents participating in the United States H-2A and H-2B seasonal work programmes. Learn more about visas, housing, pay, health and safety, the role of Liaison Officers, and the steps employers must follow to hire Jamaican workers. Whether you’re preparing for your first placement or returning for another season, these answers will help guide you through the process.
Visa and Immigration
- The worker must first make a report to the nearest Police Station.
- The worker should also make contact with their Liaison Officer who will assist them to secure temporary travel documents.
The I-94 is an electronic document that records the date you entered the United States, your status and the period you are allowed to be in the country. Your I-94 is used when applying for a Social Security number, driver’s license or an extension of stay. It establishes your legal presence. Your I-94 is available online at I94.cbp.dhs.gov. Workers are encouraged to download and to keep print a copy.
Workers are allowed to work in the United States for the duration of their contract or the period stated on their work visa. Workers must leave the USA by the date listed on their I-94.
- Workers traveling to the USA to work on the Farmwork programme will need an H-2A visa. The Ministry of Labour and Social Security is the only entity legally authorized to work with employers, agents or labor contractors to facilitate the placement of agricultural workers in jobs outside of Jamaica.
- Workers traveling to work in service-related jobs such as hotels and truck drivers will need a H-2B visa. Both the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS) and licensed private employment agencies are authorized to work with employers or their agents to place persons in jobs overseas
Housing and Accommodation Employer
- An employer of a farmworker on the H-2A visa programme, is required to provide housing at no cost to workers.
- For service workers on the H-2B visa program, while the employer is not legally obligated to provide housing, most employers generally do assist in the provision of housing which is at a cost to the worker.
Pay and Benefits
Yes, all workers are required, by law, to file annual tax returns in the USA.
Workers are usually paid weekly or fortnightly either in the form of a cheque, or direct deposit to their bank account.
A worker’s rate of pay is detailed on their contract/job order and is governed by the minimum wage rate for the state the worker is employed in.
Health and Safety
- Workers who are sick or injured at work should report the illness or injury immediately to their supervisor/employer and seek immediate medical attention.
- Workers should also report illnesses or injuries to their Liaison Officer who will work to see to their care.
Liaison Officer’s Role and Support
Your Liaison Officer’s contact information is provided by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. You may contact them via email or contact number below:
- Sheldon Brown – [email protected] or 202-809-1642
- Norris Colley – [email protected] or 202-809-0259
- Nora Smikle Dryden – [email protected] or 914-319-2343
- Karlene Brown – [email protected] or 202-809-0248
- Kareeme Morrison – [email protected] or 202-809-1037
- Kandre Leveridge – [email protected] or 202-809-0254
-
A Liaison Officer is appointed by the Government of Jamaica to support the welfare of workers.
-
They assist with communication between:
-
Workers
-
Employers
-
Other key stakeholders
-
-
They help ensure compliance with laws and procedures governing the programme.
-
They work to promote a positive and productive working environment.
Employers/Agents
The Government of Jamaica facilitates the employment of workers and does not charge workers, employers or their agents for any service provided.
Yes, workers can be transferred in-season once the employer or Agent makes a successful application to the Department of Labour and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Yes, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security maintains a pool pre-screened workers from which you can interview and select workers.
What is the process to request workers from Jamaica?
- After an Employer receives all federal and state approvals, the employer or their representative (Lawyer/Agent) will need to send their job order to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security for processing.
- Employers hiring Jamaicans for the first time may elect to interview and select workers from a prescreened pool of workers or they may request that the Ministry facilities this process.
- Employers who hired Jamaicans the previous season can indicate the names of workers they wish to return on their new job order.
- The MLSS will contact the workers and assist them to complete their DS-160 and submit their visa applications to the US Embassy in Kingston for processing. The MLSS monitors the process to ensure timely receipt of visas.
- After the visa is approved the MLSS notifies the Employer or their agent to make travel arrangements for the worker. Once the travel dates are received by the MLSS, the worker is notified and called in for orientation and travel.
For detailed information on the H2A program, you can visit the Department of Labor’s Website.
