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# GRAPHIC: Use of the H-2A program more than tripled in past decade
- URL: https://www.investigatemidwest.org/graphic-use-of-the-h-2a-program-more-than-tripled-in-past-decade/
- Published: 2021-09-09T17:50:46.000Z
- Updated: 2021-09-09T17:50:46.000Z
- Description: The number of positions certified for the fruit and tree nut industry increased about 400%, according to USDA data.
- Author: Amanda Perez Pintado, Investigate Midwest/Report for America
- Tags: Data Harvest, Uncategorized, TP::Explainer, H-2A, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-06-18 04:56

The H-2A temporary agricultural program — which allows U.S. agricultural employers to hire foreign workers for seasonal jobs — has more than tripled in size in the past decade, according to a [data analysis](https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2021/september/use-of-h-2a-guest-farm-worker-program-more-than-triples-in-past-decade/?ref=investigatemidwest.org) by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Between 2010 and 2019, the number of H-2A positions certified by the [U.S. Department of Labor](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/foreign-labor/programs/h-2a?ref=investigatemidwest.org) rose by more than 220%. All agricultural sectors saw an increase, but the growth in H-2A employment was more pronounced in product categories with high labor requirements and seasonal jobs.

Producers of the “vegetables and melons” and “fruit and tree nuts” categories were the main H-2A users. The number of H-2A visas certified for vegetables and melons increased by 330%, from about 20,600 in 2010 to 88,900 in 2019\. Meanwhile, the number of certifications for fruit and tree nuts grew nearly 400%, from about 18,100 to 85,800.

The H-2A program allows agricultural employers to bring nonimmigrant [foreign workers](https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/h-2a-temporary-agricultural-workers?ref=investigatemidwest.org) to the country to perform temporary jobs. To qualify for the program, employers must show that there aren’t enough U.S. workers to do the job and that employing H-2A workers will not adversely affect wages and working conditions of domestic workers.

The program hasn’t been free of controversy. On Wednesday, Black farmworkers in Mississippi [filed a lawsuit](https://mscenterforjustice.org/black-farmworkers-sue/?ref=investigatemidwest.org) alleging an employer was using the program to circumvent having to hire Americans.

**Code Embed: Cannot use CODEh2a as a global code as it is being used to store 3 unique pieces of code in 3 posts**

*Amanda Perez Pintado is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms.*

*Lead photo: Julia Hansen*