The H-2A (“H2A”) [see category] nonimmigrant visa category is for temporary agricultural workers. The H-2B [see category] nonimmigrant visa category is for temporary non-agricultural workers. Both visa categories restrict eligibility for temporary workers by nationality. That is, in order to be the beneficiary of an approvable H2A or H2B petition, the prospective worker must be from a country that is eligible to participate in the applicable program. Almost all countries that are eligible for either H2A or H2B petition are eligible for both, but there are a few exceptions. The list of eligible countries is periodically tweaked.
Below, we present an up-to-date list of H2A and H2B eligible countries. Please note that while we will try to keep the list up-to-date, we may run a few days behind the official updates in some cases. Petitioners should always consult the official government guidance and work with an experienced immigration attorney before filing.
Our most recent update: November 13, 2023 [see USCIS update].
H2A & H2B eligible countries: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Boliva, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, The Kingdon of Eswatini, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kiribati, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Mozambique, Nauru, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, North Macedonia, Norway, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saint Lucia, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkey, Tuvalu, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Vanuatu
H2A-only: Paraguay
H2B-only: Mongolia, The Philippines
Nationals of unlisted countries are not eligible to participate in either the H2A or H2B programs. However, unlisted countries may be added in the future at the discretion of the Department of Homeland Security.
