Changes in US work visa rules will restrict hiring of temporary workers

The new US work visa rules were announced by the US Labor Department in February 2010 thus making an amendment in the rules of Bush administration under which it had become quite simpler to get H-2A visas for overseas workers. 

However, the new H-2A US work visa rules under the US immigration policies will benefit the workers in terms of better wage rates and better protection for undertaking harvest jobs in the US. 

Also, these rules for work in the US will make it essential for the US farm growers to first hire domestic workers and if the needed workers are not available in the US, only then can the growers hire the services of the farm workers having US visa for undertaking temporary employment in the US. 

Till now, US farmers had been employing migrant workers for seasonal harvesting work in the US since it requires staying away from home for longer time periods. Moreover, the natives or those having US citizenship often shy away from such tough work. 

The US farmers are feeling quite concerned over the recent change in the H-2A US work visa rules. Clayton Befort, a custom cutter said nearly half of his harvesting staff employed for undertaking seasonal work in the US comprises of US immigrants who have come to live and work in the US. So, the new rules will make it difficult for him to hire sufficient temporary workers for harvesting jobs in the US. 

Befort is not alone in expressing his concerns about the changes in the H-2A US work visa rules. There are many other US farmers who say the visa changes will prove costly and discourage hiring of temporary harvesting workers.