Yuma ranks high in H2-A and H2-B visa workers, supporting the local ag industry

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - Yuma has the sixth highest reliance on H2-A and H2-B visa workers in the nation.

Valentin Sierra of Amigo Farms said, "We hire 35 employees through the H2-A program."

Amigo Farms is a local agriculture company that hires temporary workers under the H2-A visa program.

A new study released by Manifest Law, a modern immigration law firm, found that Yuma County is the sixth highest reliance on seasonal workers in the nation. H2-A visas ease the pressure on the agricultural workforce.

Sierra said, "95-98% of them return back every year, and we usually get the other 3-5% of new employees...It's either because someone is having issues at home and they can't leave at the time, and well, they miss that window of opportunity."

Local agriculture companies start the visa process in May to get ready for the planting season in August.

Sierra explained, "This is a list of what you need, documentation, put in the petition, and then we go through the legal process of getting them approved."

One local date farm worker, Manuel Valenzuela, explained why they make a difference.

"Because they come with a permit or they take care of their work, and they do a better job than locals because if locals get fired, they go somewhere else, but they take care of their work, they work more, and they produce better," Valenzuela shared.

The peak of the agricultural season starts in August and ends in the spring.

According to the University of Arizona, Yuma generates $4.4 billion in agriculture revenue per year.

These visa programs are an extremely significant component of the U.S. labor force as the United States faces labor shortages.