NEED  H-2A   VISA  EXTENSIONS  THIS  FALL? 

TIME  SENSITIVE - PLEASE  READ  CAREFULLY!

PLEASE  CALL NCGA  TO  RECEIVE  INSTRUCTIONS  PACKAGE

LAST DAY TO SUBMIT DOCUMENTS TO NCGA IS OCTOBER 10th    

To reduce visa extensions (=expense+aggravation to the farmer) NCGA, again in 2025, offered a later expiration date, December 10th, as an option for certain H-2A workers the grower expected from the beginning would be needed beyond the standard November 8th visa expiration date for diversified crop farms. Many NCGA members elected to utilize this option for some portion of their workforce.

NCGA recognizes the December 10th expiration date option did not eliminate the need to file extensions as uncontrollable variables including weather, unexpected individual worker scenarios, and other unpredictable factors inevitably force growers to adjust plans made before the season began. Two (2) and four (4) week extensions are available for workers with November 8th visa expiration dates ONLY.  Please do not call NCGA and ask to extend workers with visas expiring on December 10th – the answer is a firm NO due to the strict regulatory time limitations on the grower’s annual participation in the program and the H-2A worker’s presence in the US which is monitored and enforced by the government.

Rather than mail an expensive package of information on extensions to all NCGA farmer members we decided instead to send this notification letter as the first step. If you think you might need to file for extensions on H-2A workers with a November 8th expiration date on their visa you MUST call NCGA on or before Friday, September 28th to receive the extensions package with instructions and worker specific documents by mail or email. After you receive the extensions instructions package from NCGA the final deadline to submit the required documents to NCGA will be Friday, October 10th.  

  CHRISTMAS TREE TRANSFER WORKERS – Some workers on tobacco and diversified vegetable farms will be able to transfer and harvest Christmas trees. If workers on your tobacco and diversified vegetable farm wish to transfer to Christmas tree harvest jobs, you DO NOT Need to extend them on Your Farm and you DO NOT NEED to make and send copies of the worker payroll documents to NCGA. NCGA staff will copy the necessary documentation at the time of the worker transfer as the workers pass through Vass on their way to the mountains.

  Please call NCGA with the names of workers that wish to transfer to Christmas trees and NCGA staff will record the information and give timely updates to share with workers. Also, please remind the H-2A workers who wish to transfer to Christmas trees to keep the wage statements from the last 2 weeks of work easily accessible for NCGA to copy and submit to USCIS as evidence of compliance with the terms of the H-2A visa. Unfortunately, NCGA cannot guarantee a job to every H-2A worker who wishes to transfer to Christmas tree harvest – but we will do our best.

If you have any questions, please call NCGA, thank you.