01 · Scope
Confirm temporary or seasonal need
Define the agricultural work, dates, locations, headcount, hours, crops or activities, and the business reason the need is temporary.
Open DOL H‑2A program guidance ↗● Official-source field guide
A clearer H‑2A season, from first filing to final record.
Use this handbook to move through the program in order, keep the right records, and open the controlling federal guidance when a decision matters.
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Compliance noteThis is a practical organizer, not legal advice and not a substitute for the certified job order, regulations, agency instructions, or advice from qualified counsel. State and local rules may add obligations.
At a glance
Your season roadmap
Follow the work in sequence. Deadlines and requirements can vary with the job order and agency instructions.
1PlanNeed, dates, housing, wage, worksites
2FileDOL job order and labor certification
3RecruitU.S. worker outreach and report
4PetitionUSCIS H‑2A petition
5OnboardContract, rights, I‑9, orientation
6OperatePay, records, housing, transport
7CloseFinal pay, travel, notifications, file
Phase 1
Before you file
Build the job order from real operating facts. The certified terms become the floor for the season.
02 · Job order
Make every term accurate
List wage rates, schedule, duties, housing, transportation, meals or kitchen facilities, tools, workers’ compensation, and every permitted deduction.
03 · Readiness
Prepare the operating file
- Housing plan and inspection pathway
- Transportation and driver documentation
- Workers’ compensation proof
- Payroll and timekeeping setup
Phase 2
Recruitment and U.S. worker access
Document every referral and decision consistently. Recruitment duties continue beyond initial certification.
Recruit
Follow the recruitment instructions
Coordinate with the State Workforce Agency, complete required positive recruitment, contact eligible former U.S. workers when required, and preserve proof.
Read DOL Fact Sheet #26A ↗Refer
Track each U.S. applicant
Record the referral date, contact attempts, interview result, offer, acceptance, withdrawal, or the specific lawful job-related reason for rejection.
50% rule
Keep accepting eligible applicants
Qualified, eligible U.S. workers who apply through the first 50% of the contract period generally must be hired for the job opportunity.
Read DOL H‑2A overview ↗Phase 3
Arrival and onboarding
Give each worker a clear start: the correct documents, understandable terms, and a safe orientation.
0 of 6 complete
Phase 4
During the season
Match day-to-day operations to the certified job order and keep records that show what happened.
Pay
Pay the required rate when due
Pay at least the highest applicable required rate. Wage statements should clearly show hours, rate, earnings, deductions, and pay-period information.
Review DOL wage guidance ↗Hours
Monitor the three-fourths guarantee
Track hours offered—not only hours worked—against the contract period, and review the guarantee before the end of the season.
Terms
Treat corresponding workers fairly
The job order’s protections also cover U.S. workers in corresponding employment. Do not make undisclosed or prohibited deductions.
Open DOL employer obligations ↗Tools
Provide required items at no charge
Supply required tools, equipment, and supplies without shifting prohibited costs to workers.
Records
Keep the season file current
Maintain recruitment, time, payroll, housing, transportation, contract, reimbursement, and notification records together and ready for review.
Open DOL compliance review ↗Protect
No retaliation or document control
Do not retaliate against workers for asserting rights, and never hold or confiscate passports or immigration documents.
Phase 5
Housing, transportation, and daily welfare
These responsibilities continue every day—not only at inspection or arrival.
Housing
Keep certified housing safe
Provide required housing at no cost when workers cannot reasonably return home the same day. Log inspections, maintenance, and corrective action.
Transport
Verify vehicles and drivers
Track inspections, insurance, authorization, capacity, seat belts where required, routes, and daily issues for employer-provided transportation.
Daily needs
Plan meals, water, and sanitation
Provide the meals or cooking facilities promised in the job order, plus required potable water, toilets, and handwashing facilities.
Open DOL agriculture guidance ↗Phase 6
Changes, separation, and closeout
Handle early departures and end-of-contract obligations promptly, then preserve a complete file.
Two-workday trigger
Document and notify when required
Early termination, abandonment, failure to report, or qualifying early completion can trigger prompt notices to DOL and/or DHS. Follow agency instructions and retain proof.
Worker-initiated
Voluntary early resignation
A voluntary resignation means the worker—not the employer—chooses to leave before the contract ends while work remains available. The bilingual form documents that decision, does not waive wages or other rights, and must not be used for a layoff, termination, or an employer-pressured departure.
Travel
Settle transportation obligations
Review inbound reimbursement and outbound transportation and subsistence obligations against the worker’s completion point and the certified contract.
Review DOL worker protections ↗File
Close the season deliberately
Reconcile final wages, the three-fourths guarantee, deductions, travel, worker status, recruitment records, and open corrective actions.
Field forms
Print-ready season toolkit
These organizer templates are not government forms. Open one to print it or download a blank copy for your records.
Employer resources
Official compliance guidance
Trusted federal resources for understanding employer responsibilities and worker protections throughout the H‑2A season.
DOL H‑2A program pageProcess, filing, and program overview
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DOL SeasonalJobsPublic job-order listings
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DOL H‑2A compliance libraryFact sheets, posters, checklists, and worker materials
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DOL worker-rights posterEnglish PDF; obtain other language versions from DOL
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USCIS I‑9 CentralEmployment eligibility verification guidance
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