U.S. Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) has introduced bipartisan legislation that would modernize the H-2A agricultural worker visa program for the first time in four decades.
“It’s time to bring the H-2A program into the 21st century,” the congressman said. “Producers have been sounding the alarm for years that Congress needs to address the workforce crisis we have on our hands in farm country. The H-2A visa program is woefully outdated, and it no longer meets the needs of American agricultural production.”
The Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act of 2026, H.R. 9535, which Rep. Thompson introduced on June 30, aims to improve access to farm labor and reduce costs for agricultural producers who rely on temporary foreign workers when domestic workers are unavailable. There are 49 lawmakers who signed on as original cosponsors of the bill, including U.S. Rep. Donald Davis (D-NC).
The legislation would mark the first statutory changes to H-2A since the program’s creation through the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. The measure would expand program access for year-round agricultural operations, implement cost controls, and streamline coordination between government agencies that administer the program.
“There is no greater national security threat than disruptions to our food supply,” Rep. Thompson said. “The Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act of 2026 makes the practical, commonsense reforms required to prevent these disruptions by providing a workforce that meets agriculture’s needs—now and in the future.”
The bill has garnered support from more than 400 agricultural organizations, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, Western Growers Association, and National Milk Producers Federation.
Demand for H-2A workers has surged in recent years as the domestic agricultural workforce has declined. The program issued more than 300,000 visas in 2024, representing a 2,766 percent increase from 1996 levels, according to the congressman’s office.
One key issue the legislation addresses involves the Adverse Effect Wage Rate, which determines minimum wages for H-2A workers. From 2010 to 2025, increases to that rate outpaced inflation by 70 percent, creating financial strain for agricultural producers.
Thompson developed the legislation after leading a bipartisan working group of House Agriculture Committee members to examine workforce challenges facing producers nationwide. The bill’s provisions stem from the working group’s policy recommendations.
H-2A visa holders are classified as non-immigrant workers and are not eligible for a pathway to U.S. citizenship through the program. The legislation does not change that status, Rep. Thompson’s office said.