Nationals of 53 Countries Authorized for the 2011 H-2A and H-2B Visa Programs

Posted on January 19, 2011 by VISANOW

The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) list of countries eligible to participate in this year’s H-2A (for temporary agricultural jobs) and H-2B (for temporary non-agricultural jobs) programs became effective Tuesday, January 18, 2011.  The DHS, in consultation with the Department of State (DOS), has accepted 53 countries whose foreign nationals can apply for short-term work opportunities in the U.S.  The new list was published in the Federal Register today and is only valid for one year from the date of publication.

Both the DHS and the DOS take into account several factors when determining the list of approved countries, some considerations include the country’s cooperation with the distribution of travel documents and other statistics in regards to the citizens and nationals of that country that may interest the U.S. The 2011 listhas expanded to include 15 new countries from the 2010 list, designated for the first time ever to participate in H-2A and H-2B programs.  These countries are in addition to the 38 which already exist and are as follows:  Barbados, Estonia, Fiji, Hungary, Kiribati, Latvia, Macedonia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.  Another modification from the 2010 list is the elimination of Indonesia as a country eligible to participate in the H-2A and H-2B programs, a ruling made by the DHS and DOS based on “a number of relevant factors.”

Written by: Stephanie O.
Photo attribution: http://www.flickr.com/photos/royal_broil/

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