National Agricultural Law Center hosts webinar on H-2A Temporary Agricultural Worker Program
By Ramie Parsons
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
March 9, 2026
Fast Facts
- Program provides overview of highly regulated H-2A temporary ag worker program
- Covers Adverse Effect Wage Rates, application process, compliance requirements
- Free registration available online
(420 words)
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The National Agricultural Law Center will host an upcoming webinar, “Homing in on H-2A: An Overview of the Temporary Agricultural Worker Program,” on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, from noon-1 p.m. EDT or 11 a.m. to noon CDT.
Authorized by the Immigration and Nationality Act, the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program allows qualified agricultural employers who lack sufficient domestic labor to petition the federal government for permission to bring nonimmigrant foreign workers into the United States for temporary or seasonal agricultural employment.
According to recent data from the United States Department of Agriculture, “the number of H-2A positions requested and approved has increased more than sevenfold in the past 19 years, from just over 48,000 positions certified in fiscal year 2005 to around 385,000 in FY 2024.” The number was 370,000 in FY 2022.
This webinar will provide an overview of the major provisions of the H-2A program, including a discussion of the Adverse Effect Wage Rate and its calculation and application to U.S. employees. The program will also describe the requirements, processes and legal issues related to obtaining certification to employ H-2A workers.
The program will be presented by Audry Thompson, staff attorney at the Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law. Thompson serves as program director of the Understanding Agricultural Law educational series, supervises law students in the Rural Economic Development Clinic and authors the Agricultural Law Weekly Review. Her research focuses on agricultural labor issues, and she currently serves as lead CASL attorney for AgWorks, an agricultural labor-focused educational and consulting grant project between CASL, Penn State Extension and the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.
“H-2A plays a critical role in meeting labor needs across the agricultural sector, but it is also one of the most highly regulated employment programs affecting producers,” Thompson said. “This webinar will help participants better understand how the program operates and what employers must consider when navigating the process.”
“Agricultural labor remains one of the most significant legal and policy issues facing producers nationwide,” said Harrison Pittman, director of the National Agricultural Law Center. “This webinar reflects the Center’s continued commitment to providing objective, timely information on complex issues that directly impact agricultural operations.”
Thompson earned her Juris Doctor from Penn State Dickinson Law and is licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania. She is also a Ph.D. candidate in Penn State’s College of Education, where her forthcoming dissertation examines clinical legal education.
Additional information about the webinar, including registration details, is available on the National Agricultural Law Center’s website.
About the National Agricultural Law Center
Created by Congress in 1987, the National Agricultural Law Center serves as the nation’s leading source of agricultural and food law research and information. The NALC works with producers, agribusinesses, state and federal policymakers, lenders, Congressional staffers, attorneys, land grant universities, students, and many others to provide objective, nonpartisan agricultural and food law research and information to the nation’s agricultural community.
The NALC is a unit of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and works in close partnership with the National Agricultural Library, a subsidiary of the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service. For information about the NALC, visit nationalaglawcenter.org. The NALC is also on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn as @nataglaw.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land-grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, pregnancy, or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
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Media Contact:
Ramie Parsons
National Agricultural Law Center
rparsons@uark.edu
479-575-7646