Labor Department Approves 17% More H-2A Visas as Trump Wage Cuts Spur Farm Demand
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 4
Labor Department Approves 17% More H-2A Visas as Trump Wage Cuts Spur Farm Demand
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 4
Summary
17% more H-2A visas were approved in the first half of fiscal 2026 than a year earlier, signaling faster growth in farms’ use of seasonal foreign labor.
Trump administration policies tightened access to undocumented and many legal immigrant workers, while the Agriculture Department last fall lowered required H-2A wages, making the program cheaper for growers.
H-2A visas are uncapped for seasonal farm jobs, and growers increasingly rely on them for labor-intensive crops such as blueberries, celery and cherries that are still hard to mechanize.
Since 2013, the number of H-2A workers has quadrupled to about one-sixth of the U.S. agricultural labor force as farmworkers age and immigration slows.
Beyond visa programs, can technology and automation truly solve the American farm labor shortage for harvesting delicate crops?
With farm labor costs cut, what are the hidden health and financial consequences for America's growing guest workforce?
As federal rules lower guest worker pay, can state laws successfully push back to protect local wages and labor markets?
U.S. Farmworker Wages Slashed by 26–32%: The 2026 H-2A Visa Rule Changes and Their Fallout
Overview
In 2026, the Trump administration’s new wage rules for the H-2A visa program are reshaping U.S. agriculture. By modernizing the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) system, these policies aim to ease regulatory burdens and lower labor costs for farmers, making H-2A labor more affordable and increasing demand for foreign workers. While intended to support farmers facing economic challenges, the changes are projected to significantly reduce wages for over 350,000 H-2A farmworkers, raising concerns about the impact on both domestic and foreign agricultural workers and sparking legal and political debates about the future of farm labor in the U.S.