The primary function of Agriculture Workforce Management Association, Inc. (AWMA) is to provide guidance to its stockholder employers who wish to apply for temporary alien agricultural labor certification for the purpose of employing H2A workers on a temporary or seasonal basis.
"Owned and Managed by Agricultural Employers"
Important Dates for H-2A Applications
We need your application 75 days prior to your date of need.
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If you need workers by February 1, we need your application no later than November 15.
If you need workers by February 15, we need your application no later than December 1.
If you need workers by March 1, we need your application no later than December 15.
If you need workers by March 15, we need you application no later than January 1.
If you need workers by April 1, we need your application no later than January 15.
If you need workers by April 15, we need your application no later than February 1.
If you need workers by March 1, we need your application no later than February 15.
If you need workers by March 15, we need your application no later than March 1.
If you need workers by April 1, we need your application no later than March 15.
If you need workers by April 15, we need your application no later than April 1.
If you need workers by May 1, we need your application no later than April 15.
AWMA Board Actions
AWMA Board of Directors has voted to give the shareholders a 10% refund on the processing fees that were paid in Fiscal Year 2020 – 2021. The refund checks will be mailed the first of October. Please cash those within 45 days of receipt. Also, the board voted to maintain the current H-2A processing fees for the Fiscal Year 2021 - 2022. These fees are subject to change if any changes to the H-2A program are made.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection - Changes to I-94
Foreign visitors to the U.S. arriving via air or sea no longer need to complete paper Customs and Border Protection Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record or Form I-94W Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver Arrival/Departure Record. Those who need to prove their legal-visitor status—to employers, schools/universities or government agencies—can access their CBP arrival/departure record information online. CBP now gathers travelers’ arrival/departure information automatically from their electronic travel records.
Now at the land border, travelers will be issued I-94s electronically and will no longer receive a paper I-94 stub. CBP encourages travelers requiring an I-94 to use the CBP One™ mobile app or the CBP I-94 website (https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home) to apply for their I-94. Although an approved Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is not required at the land border for citizens of Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries, if these travelers have an approved ESTA (https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/), they can use the I-94 website or CBP One™ mobile app to apply in advance and avoid filling out the Form I-94W when arriving at a port of entry.
If a traveler would like a paper Form I-94, the traveler can print their own I-94 Form from the I-94 website using "Get Most Recent I-94" or by using the same option on the CBP One™ mobile application. A paper form can be requested during the inspection process but all such requests will be accommodated in a secondary setting.
If travelers need the information from their Form I-94 admission record to verify immigration status or employment authorization, they are encouraged to get their I-94 Number from the I-94 website or by using the CBP One™ mobile app. Upon exiting the U.S., travelers issued a paper Form I-94 should surrender it to the commercial carrier, Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA), or to CBP upon departure. If you received an electronic I-94 upon arrival by air or sea or land and depart via land, your departure may not be recorded accurately. A departure will be recorded if you depart via land and re-enter the United States prior to the expiration date stamped in your passport. If you are not a resident of Canada or Mexico and you receive an electronic I-94 and depart via land but do not re-enter the United States prior to the expiration date stamped on your passport, you may want to travel with evidence of your departure into Canada or Mexico. Evidence of departure can include, but is not limited to, entry stamps in a passport, transportation tickets, pay stubs and/or other receipts. A traveler can request an entry stamp from CBSA when entering Canada or from the Instituto Nacional de Migracion (INM) when entering Mexico.
Otherwise, when leaving via air or sea, CBP will record the departure electronically via manifest information provided by the carrier or by CBP.
This automation streamlines the entry process for travelers, facilitates security and reduces federal costs. CBP estimates that the automated process will save the agency $15.5 million a year.
For more information and for answers to frequently asked questions, see the I-94 Fact Sheet.
USDA Farm Labor Survey Results
The results of the USDA Farm Labor Survey was announced Wednesday, November 24, 2021. The Department of Labor may or may not use these wages for the Adverse Effect Wage Rate for H-2A Workers. DOL should announce the official H-2A wages before January 1.
Below are the results of the Farm Labor Survey by state.
Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia $13.89
Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi $12.45
Iowa, Missouri $16.19
Pennsylvania $15.54
Oklahoma, Texas $13.88
Illinois, Indiana, Ohio $15.89
Colorado, Nevada, Utah $15.58
Alabama $11.99
Click on the following link to see the entire Farm Labor Survey Results
