Illinois Farm Bureau is hosting a H2A Labor Visa Roundtable with the El Salvador Consulate from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 5 in the IFB Office, Bloomington. The registration deadline is March 31.
Geared for farmers, the meeting will cover details of the visa program established through a 2020 agreement between the U.S. and El Salvador. Farmers are encouraged to attend in person; however, a virtual participation option will be available.
To register, visit https://form.jotform.com/220794405462052.
Under the U.S.-El Salvador agreement, Salvadorans may apply for H2A visas to work in 10-month, temporary agricultural jobs. A database of 50,000 Salvadoran profiles has been compiled and includes ag workers with field experience with corn, vegetables, fruit, beans, coffee and sugar crops.
There is no recruitment fee. The El Salvador Consulate will take selected workers to the U.S. consulate for approval. The recruitment and visa process takes 21 or fewer days.
Direct questions about the visa roundtable to Raghela Scavuzzo, IFB associate director of food systems development, 309-557-2155, rscavuzzo@ilfb.org or Allie Speer, IFB policy development & advocacy program coordinator, 309-557-3459, aspeer@ilfb.org.
This story was provided by FarmWeekNow.com.