Growers Urge U.S. to Resume H-2A Processing Amid Shutdown

(FLORIDA, UNITED STATES) With Florida’s fall harvest already underway, growers are urging the federal government to restart H-2A visa processing during the ongoing government shutdown that began October 1, 2025. The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) has paused all H-2A job orders and labor certifications, and its electronic FLAG system is offline.

That single step—stopping DOL certifications—has brought the H-2A pipeline to a standstill, even though U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and U.S. consulates remain open because they are fee-funded. Without a DOL certification in hand, however, USCIS cannot move H-2A petitions forward, and consulates cannot issue visas.

Immediate impact on Florida growers

Grower groups, including the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, say time is running out. Peak pick times for vegetables and citrus don’t wait. Industry leaders warn that if the stoppage at the Department of Labor lasts into November, many workers may not reach farms until February—long after the main harvest for oranges and winter vegetables.

• Some Florida producers estimate that up to 40% of expected H-2A hires may not arrive in time if the shutdown drags on, risking major crop losses and food waste.
• The shutdown is hitting at the worst point in the season and adding pressure to an already tight farm labor market across the United States 🇺🇸.

Farmers report immediate costs: prepaid housing, transportation, and equipment for crews that are now delayed. Others have seedlings in the ground needing daily care or fruit that will rot if left unpicked.

This is not only a Florida problem. Winter vegetables from the Southeast, apples in other regions, and nursery stock with tight planting windows all depend on predictable H-2A processing.

How the H-2A process normally works (and what’s stopped)

Under normal conditions:

1. Employers secure a temporary labor certification from the DOL (OFLC).
2. Employers file the H-2A petition with USCIS using Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker.
3. When USCIS approves, workers schedule consular interviews and obtain visas through the Department of State.

Today, the chain is broken at step 1:

• The DOL has suspended H-2A job order intake and labor certifications; OFLC and FLAG are offline. This is the core bottleneck.
• USCIS remains open (fee-funded) and is still accepting Form I-129 filings, but cannot approve H-2A petitions without a DOL certification.
• The Department of State can often process visa interviews but cannot issue H-2A visas without completed DOL and USCIS steps.

In practical terms: no new workers can enter on H-2A, and many crops risk not being harvested on time.

Economic and operational consequences

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, every day without DOL movement closes windows for time-sensitive harvests, forcing farmers to scale back or leave fields idle. Growers fear longer-term harm if customers shift to imports after seeing empty shelves or higher prices.

• Farms already run close to the margin because labor is the biggest cost.
• A sudden shortage can force hard choices:
  • Plow under crops
  • Pay much more for last-minute local help
  • Shrink acreage next season

The ripple effects extend beyond fields:

• Packing houses may close early or reduce shifts.
• Truck drivers lose routes and income.
• Cold storage and local businesses near farm hubs see declines.

Policy gaps highlighted by the shutdown

• H-2A only covers temporary or seasonal work. Year-round sectors (dairy, mushrooms, some nurseries) are ineligible, despite similar labor shortages.
• Tighter immigration enforcement has reduced the available workforce, pushing more employers toward H-2A.
• When the H-2A pipeline halts at the DOL, there is no backup plan for many industries.

Advocates ask the Administration to classify H-2A processing as an essential activity during shutdowns to protect perishable crops and stabilize food prices. Opponents argue for uniform rules across agencies. For growers, the debate is practical: they simply need crews in the fields before crops pass their prime.

“Crews arriving in February won’t save fruit that needed to come off in November.”
— comment from a farm manager describing the urgency

What growers and employers can do now (practical checklist)

While the DOL stage is suspended, farmers can prepare to move fast when FLAG and OFLC return:

1. Keep draft H-2A job orders and labor certification packets ready to submit immediately when the FLAG system is restored.
   • Assemble recruitment records, housing photos, and pay plans in one place.
2. Pre-fill Form I-129 and gather required evidence so petitions are ready to file as soon as DOL issues certification.
   • Form and instructions: Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker
3. Confirm you have the correct DOL form and attachments (Form ETA-9142A) ready for submission.
   • Form page: ETA-9142A, H-2A Application for Temporary Employment Certification
4. Map potential consular posts for workers and coordinate with overseas recruiters about appointment openings.
5. Stay in close contact with trade associations and legal counsel for alerts on partial restarts or temporary policy changes.
6. Consider contingency operational plans if workers arrive late:
   • Shift acreage to later-harvest crops
   • Contract local crews for short bursts (at higher cost)
   • Partner with nearby farms to share labor resources

For background on normal H-2A operations and policy guidance, see: DOL H-2A Temporary Agricultural Program.

Cases in progress and the backlog problem

Employers who filed before October 1 face varying states of limbo:

• Some are frozen in recruitment
• Others are mid-DOL review
• A smaller number await consular slots after USCIS approval

A short pause can create weeks of extra work at DOL when staff resume—sorting through piled-up job orders and applications. Farm groups are asking for a transparent queue, temporary overtime, or reassignments to reduce the backlog once funding returns.

Political and advocacy actions

• Grower groups have urged the Administration to treat H-2A processing as essential and restore OFLC and FLAG during the funding lapse.
• Business groups are providing crop-by-crop forecasts to lawmakers to demonstrate lost revenue and food waste tied to processing delays.
• Some lawmakers from farm districts report constituents facing immediate labor shortfalls and cash-flow stress from housing leases and equipment loans taken on for expected H-2A crews.

Final takeaways and warnings

• USCIS and many consulates continue fee-funded services, but they cannot complete H-2A admissions without a DOL-issued certification.
• The H-2A pipeline is a three-step chain—DOL → USCIS → Department of State—and it is only as strong as its first link.
• Each day the FLAG system is dark raises the chance that fields go unpicked and an entire season is lost.

The advice from trade groups: keep documents current, line up forms, and be ready to file the moment the Department of Labor reopens H-2A channels. For now, growers face the reality that the government shutdown has frozen the first mile of the H-2A workflow — and the clock on perishable harvests keeps ticking.