Moving H–2A to United States Department of Agriculture Act of 2023

H.R. 575, the Moving H–2A to United States Department of Agriculture Act of 2023, proposes to transfer the authority and administration of the H-2A visa program from the Department of Labor to the Department of Agriculture. The H-2A program allows U.S. agricultural employers who anticipate a shortage of domestic workers to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary or seasonal agricultural jobs.

If enacted, this change would shift the responsibility for reviewing labor certifications and overseeing the program’s regulations to the agency that manages national farming and food policy. For citizens and agricultural employers, this move is intended to streamline the application process for seasonal labor by placing oversight within the department most familiar with the specific needs and timelines of the farming industry.