LANSING, Mich. – Farmers who hire foreign workers under the federal H-2A program are having a problem with vaccination requirements and are seeking an exemption.

Late last year numerous farm groups, including Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB), sent a letter to federal officials spelling out the problem and asking for relief from requirements that H-2A workers be vaccinated for COVID-19 before entering the country.  As the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus became prevalent last year, the White House announced a proclamation prohibiting travel for individuals from several countries, including South Africa, due to concerns about the virus spreading via these workers. Almost 7,000 guest workers come from South Africa each year, most of whom arrive in the United States in February, March and April. Farmers in Michigan and other states count on these workers as they make plans for the growing season.  

Since that time the issue with South African workers has been worked out, said Sarah Black, manager of the MFB’s Great Lakes Ag Labor Services, an ag labor agency for MFB members focused on H-2A or seasonal visas. “We are an agent for the farmers, because the H-2A program is very complicated,” Black said. The agency arranges for transportation, files applications for farmers and performs various “onboarding” services that these workers need once they enter the country. The farmer members of MFB pay for the service. The issue with South African workers got resolved, because these workers have access to vaccines. However, that is not the case in Mexico, where most foreign ag workers come from.

The MFB would like to have a provision where foreign workers can get vaccinated after they enter the country. “With the safety measures put in place recently regarding testing within a day of travel, these workers can safely enter the United States and be vaccinated here with a CDC approved vaccine, ensuring the agricultural workforce is protected and able to continue the essential tasks of ensuring the United States supply chain is functioning,” the letter, dated December 13, states. It was written to the U.S. Secretary of State and Secretary of Homeland Security. There are some 300,000 H-2A workers that enter the United States each year to perform ag labor for the country’s farmers. Michigan farmers typically employ 10,000 H-2A workers each year.

“For us the message is you’re requiring a vaccine for people who want to come in legally, but it’s not requiring it for people who come in illegally,” Black said. “Either they need to lift the restrictions for these workers, or allow a transition period that will give them an opportunity to get a proper vaccination. It’s a low percentage of ag workers that abscond, and if they want to come back in the future they have to return to their home country. The good thing for our clients is a lot of their workers were vaccinated last year. We’re hopeful that this requirement will be modified in time for this season. We need these workers. We can’t afford to lose 10,000 workers.”