The "Supporting Farm Operations Act of 2025" freezes wage rates for H-2A nonimmigrant workers at 2023 levels through 2026 and clarifies job classification for wage determination.
John Moolenaar
Representative
MI-2
The "Supporting Farm Operations Act of 2025" freezes the wage rate for H-2A nonimmigrant workers at the level it was on December 31, 2023, through December 31, 2026. Additionally, the bill directs the Secretary of Labor to use a primary duties evaluation when deciding the required wage for employees who perform multiple duties or tasks.
Farmworker Wage Freeze Set Through 2026: New Bill Locks H-2A Rates, Shifts Job Duty Rules
The "Supporting Farm Operations Act of 2025" (SEC. 1) freezes wages for temporary foreign farmworkers, known as H-2A nonimmigrants, at their December 31, 2023 levels until December 31, 2026 (SEC. 2). This means the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) – basically, the minimum wage farms must pay these workers – won't go up for the next three years.
Wages on Ice
The core of this bill is all about keeping labor costs predictable for farms. By freezing the AEWR, farms that rely on H-2A workers know exactly what they'll be paying, at least for the next few years. For example, if a fruit picker in Michigan was making $15/hour on December 31, 2023, that rate holds steady until the end of 2026, regardless of inflation or other market factors.
The Job Duty Shuffle
The bill also changes how wages are calculated for workers who do multiple jobs on the farm (SEC. 3). Instead of looking at all the tasks someone does, the Secretary of Labor will now focus on their "primary duties." Think of a farmhand who spends 70% of their time harvesting crops and 30% driving a tractor. Under this bill, their wage would be based primarily on the harvesting job, even if tractor driving typically pays more. This could simplify things for employers, but it might also mean lower pay for some workers if their "main" job is classified in a lower-paying category.
Real-World Ripple Effects
While the wage freeze might help farms keep costs down, it could make these jobs less attractive to domestic workers, potentially increasing the reliance on H-2A workers. It also raises questions about whether farmworkers, already facing a tough job market, will see their earning potential limited. The "primary duties" rule could also lead to some tricky situations. For instance, if a worker spends most of their time on lower-paid tasks but occasionally does higher-skilled work, they might not get compensated for that extra skill. This change could significantly impact workers who handle a variety of tasks throughout the season, potentially lowering their overall earnings compared to a system that considers all duties performed.
This bill directly impacts anyone working on an H-2A visa, and by extension, the farms that employ them. It also sets a precedent for how wages are calculated in the agricultural sector, which could have longer-term effects on both foreign and domestic farmworkers.