Legislation recently introduced by U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) would streamline and modernize the H-2A agricultural visa program to meet the labor needs of family farms and agribusinesses.
The Family Farm Relief Act would transfer the agricultural visa program from the Department of Labor to the Department of Agriculture. The measure would also allow applications to be submitted on paper or online, mandate a user-friendly online system, and eliminate advertising and prevailing practice survey requirements.
“Agriculture is the backbone of our North Country economy, and I am pleased to introduce this important bill to address the labor shortages facing our farmers,” Stefanik said.
“When I travel the district speaking with our farmers, I often hear about how unnecessary delays in worker visas lead to difficulty meeting production goals. This commonsense legislation simply puts the H-2A agricultural visa program in the hands of those who best understand the specific needs of our farms,” she added.
The Family Farm Relief Act, which Stefanik introduced with U.S. Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY), would enable farm cooperatives and agricultural associations to submit applications on behalf of their members, and it would require reports to Congress on delays in application processing.
The last thing farmers need, Collins said, is for the federal government to make it harder to make ends meet.
“Access to a willing and available labor force is absolutely critical for Western New York’s agriculture community, particularly our dairy farmers,” Collins added.
Immigration reform that permits both seasonal and year round farm labor has been a priority for the New York Farm Bureau.
“For too long, the federal H-2A guest visa program has been cumbersome, prone to delays and too rigid to fit the needs of both farmers and their employees,” David Fisher, the president of the New York Farm Bureau, said.