GAO: H-2A Visa Program – Improvements to Oversight and Enforcement Needed

The H-2A visa program was created to allow U.S. agricultural employers to fill jobs on a temporary basis if workers in the U.S. are not available for those jobs. From fiscal year (FY) 2018 through FY 2023, the number of approved H-2A jobs and visas increased by over 50 percent, with the Department of State issuing almost 310,000 H-2A visas in FY 2023. The Department of Homeland Security lacks full electronic processing of H-2A petitions, which adds time to the process. As part of its job, The Department of Labor investigates when employers don't pay their H-2A workers. But it has trouble getting workers the wages the're owed in a timely manner.