Temporary H2 Visas Issued to Hondurans to Work in the USA

Honduras Temporary H2 Visas allow Honduran citizens to work temporarily in the United States, either in agricultural (H2A) or non-agricultural (H2B) sectors, addressing specific labor shortages. The Temporary Work Program for the United States has been launched by the Honduran government through the Ministry of Labor (MOL), with assistance from the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Embassy in Honduras. The program provides the link between U.S. companies and qualified Hondurans for a range of seasonal agricultural and non-agricultural labor that is transparent, equitable, and free.  

Everything About Temporary H2 Work Visas Issued to Hondurans

H2 work visas are temporary work permits. It is best to clarify the following procedure regarding temporary work visas to inform the Honduran applicants and prevent them from becoming victims of fraud. Employers in the United States start the procedure by issuing a temporary work visa H2 to Honduran applicants by stating that they are unable to find the necessary employees locally. The American company will provide the paperwork to the Honduran employee once they have been approved by the US authorities.  

The applicant can then just visit the Consulate as a final step to process their visa once the employer delivers the necessary documents because American companies usually handle all the paperwork in the US. Yet, it is best to remind Honduran workers that they do not have to pay to gain employment in the United States. Several American firms turn to recruiters in Honduras to hire such employees.  

Difference between H2A and H2B Visas

The economy and food security of the United States both rely heavily on temporary workers that apply for H2 visas in categories H-2A and H-2B. 

Seasonal Agricultural Workers (H-2A)

Employers in the United States can hire foreign nationals such as workers from Honduras, on the H-2A visa to cover temporary agricultural positions for which American workers are not readily available. Candidates can take up temporary positions in various industries, including construction, agriculture, and forestry.  

H-2B Temporary Non-Agricultural Workers Program for Hondurans

This program enables U.S. businesses or U.S. agents who adhere to certain legal standards to bring foreign individuals, such as those from Honduras, to the country to work in temporary non-agricultural positions. Form I-129, Petition for a Non-immigrant Worker, must be submitted on behalf of a potential Honduran employee by a U.S. employer or U.S. agent as specified in the regulations.  

More Details on H-2 Temporary Worker

Once a Honduran employee has completed half of the work contract, the employer must either pay for the daily expenses like food and transportation to and from work or provide them for the worker. Alternatively, they must reimburse the workers for reasonable expenses. After the work contract is complete, the American employer is responsible for covering the cost of the individual’s return transportation as well as their daily living expenses from the place of employment to the one from which they originally left to work for the employer (Honduras).  

If the salary after the deduction of the expenses is less than the U.S. minimum wage, the employer might be compelled to pay their inbound travel and visa charges in the first workweek. Also, the company is required to offer free transportation to and from the workplace from accommodation that is provided by them. About pay received for services rendered in conjunction with the H-2 visa, workers from Honduras are exempt from U.S. Social Security and Medicare taxes.  

In most cases, the employer is required to provide foreigners with employment for a total number of hours that is at least 3/4 of the workdays for the duration of the contract.  

H2 Visa Program Process

The bulk of non-agricultural employment is filled in by foreign nationals who are brought to the United States under the H2 B visa programs on a temporary basis. However, this type of employment is only permitted if a nation such as Honduras is listed as eligible on a list that is kept up to date by the Federal Register and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the United States of America.  

To address seasonal shortages that firms try to fill, the government roughly trebles the number of temporary work visas for positions in the hospitality, gardening, and seafood-processing industries.  

List of Eligible Countries

The following countries’ nationals are those that are eligible for the H2B visa program:  

• St. Vincent & the Grenadines  
• Denmark  
• Serbia  
• Israel  
• Andorra  
• Mozambique  
• The Netherlands  
• Japan  
• Nauru  
• Finland  
• Jamaica  
• The U.K.  
• Slovakia  
• New Zealand  
• Fiji  
• Austria  
• Estonia  
• Vanuatu  
• Slovenia  
• Uruguay  
• Barbados  
• Kiribati  
• Nicaragua  
• Lithuania  
• Latvia  
• Belgium  
• Norway  
• Solomon Islands  
• Brazil  
• France  
• Ireland  
• South Africa  
• Brunei  
• Panama  
• Germany  
• Lichtenstein  
• Greece  
• North Macedonia  
• South Korea  
• Mongolia  
• Bulgaria  
• Spain  
• Chile  
• Sweden  
• Montenegro  
• Timor-Leste  
• Iceland  
• Luxembourg  
• Papua New Guinea  
• Canada  
• Peru  
• Grenada  
• Madagascar  
• Turkey  
• Malta  
• Guatemala  
• Romania  
• Colombia  
• Philippines  
• Mexico  
• Switzerland  
• Poland  
• San Marino  
• Honduras  
• Costa Rica  
• Taiwan  
• Hungary  
• Monaco  
• Portugal  
• Thailand  
• Croatia  

Workers from Haiti and the Central American nations of Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala apply for H-2B visas. Before the busiest travel season, such employees cater to the travel sector with thousands of personnel.  

Period of Stay

The H-2B classification allows employees to stay up to three years. An individual from Honduras or any other eligible country who has had H-2B nonimmigrant status for a total of three years must leave the country. They are then required to stay in their home country for a continuous three months before applying for readmission as an H-2B nonimmigrant.  

Legal Rights and Protection

Honduran workers must undergo pre-departure training where steps should be taken to promote ethical and fair recruiting practices and uphold the American government’s "Guidance on Fair Recruitment Practices for Temporary Migrant Workers" and implement it. It is advised that all workers from Honduras should ask their recruiter specific questions about U.S. employment in order to determine whether the position they are offering is legitimate or a fraud, such as:  

1. Location of work  
2. Petition number  
3. Date when the petition will become effective.
4. Nature of the work to be done
5. Details related to remuneration, lodging, transportation, etc.  

Additional Information

Honduran seasonal workers should follow the below-mentioned instructions for the H2 visa application:  

1. Applicants should avoid getting tricked by middlemen.  
2. Avoid purchasing bogus stationery to apply for an H2 visa.  
3. The visa application is available online for free; hence they should not pay for it.  
4. Be wary of anyone selling a visa service because only the American Consulate has the authority to grant or deny a visa.  
5. Complete the entire H2 visa application truthfully, including the contact information.  

Please email the Tegucigalpa Consulate with the information at [email protected] if an applicant believes he/she is a victim of visa fraud.  

Conclusion

Temporary H2 Visas allow Honduran citizens to contribute to the US workforce while offering a legal and organized approach to addressing labor demands. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Labor (DOL) will make sixty-four thousand seven hundred and sixteen more H-2B visas available for the fiscal year 2023 under a temporary final rule. According to US Citizenship and Immigration Services, these additional H-2B visas are for American firms looking to petition for more workers from Honduras during specific times of the fiscal year before September 15, 2023.  

A total of forty-four thousand seven hundred more H-2B visas will be made available for workers who will be returning and were granted an H-2B visa. The final twenty thousand visas will be set aside for Guatemala, Honduras, Haiti, and El Salvador citizens. For a variety of seasonal agricultural and non-agricultural workers, such H2 visas provide a clear, equitable, and cost-free link between U.S. companies and qualified individuals from Honduras.