Issuance of H-2 visas for Central Americans that provide temporary work permits split between agricultural and non-agricultural would increase by 25%.
The United States, Spain and Canada announced a trilateral agreement to “encourage a safe, orderly, humane and regular migration” of people in Latin America, by opening opportunities for regulated movement in the three countries.
The trilateral statement comes amid preparations by the US government for the end of Title 42 on May 11, when the flow of migrants at the southwest border is expected to increase dramatically.
The three countries are committed, among other things, to “promote regular labor migration opportunities, including through ‘circular’ or temporary labor mobility; strengthen the ability of national governments to recruit, evaluate and support qualified workers to work abroad, fairly and ethically, according to the communication from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
In the trilateral agreement, the United States assured that it would increase the issuance of H-2 visas for Central Americans by 25%, these are temporary work permits divided between agricultural and non-agricultural.
In addition, it will seek to invest $65 million in a pilot grant program for agricultural employers “to address job instability and labor shortages by expanding the pool of H-2A workers in northern Central America.”
The US government has announced in recent days its intention to open migrant processing centers in the region, starting with Colombia and Guatemala, to carry out initial assessments of people. DHS confirmed that Spain and Canada have expressed interest in accepting referrals from processing centers so that immigrants can access their immigration programs as well.
In the official commitment on Wednesday, it was detailed that Canada “will take advantage of existing pathways for temporary foreign workers and its economic programs” to offer alternatives to irregular migration. In addition, it will “explore other humanitarian pathways” so that “qualified” refugees and other displaced persons can immigrate to Canada through economic pathways.
Spain, for its part, has promised to increase the number of people from Latin America that it will receive in the next three years through channels linked to the needs of the labor market.
