The Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor have issued new guidance clarifying that dairy businesses nationwide can employ foreign nationals through the H-2A temporary visa program.
The H-2A Temporary Agricultural Worker program issues visas to applicants performing temporary or seasonal agricultural work in the United States. However, this posed challenges to dairy farmers.
“Unlike most other agricultural production, there is no ‘season’ in dairy production,” Harold Howrigan, from the National Milk Producers Federation, said during a February 2025 Senate hearing.
“Unfortunately, this nation’s single agricultural visa program, the H-2A program, focuses on a seasonal or temporary need for workers, and excludes dairy farms with year-round needs from participation.”…