- The Mexico-U.S. Working Group on Migration, Labor Mobility and Development discusses next steps for increasing the number of visas for workers in the lead-up to President López Obrador's visit to Washington, D.C.
As part of the ongoing dialogue between Mexico and the United States, authorities from both countries discussed preparations for the meeting between Presidents Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Joseph Biden in July.
Various topics were mentioned, including the number of H-2A and H-2B visas given by the U.S. to workers from Mexico and the countries of northern Central America. The H-2A visas are for agricultural workers, while H-2B visas include other industries such as construction and services. There are no limits to the H-2A visas; they depend on private sector partnerships. The second category is limited by Congress to 66,000 visas per year in accordance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act.
In 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor has granted 193,303 H-2A visas and 59,119 H-2B visas for a total of 252,422 visas to Mexican temporary workers so far this year. A total of 55,000 additional H-2B visas have been authorized, of which 18,000 are for citizens of Haiti, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, bringing the total to 307,422.
In the lead-up to President López Obrador's visit, both governments will continue to work closely within the binational working group to increase the number of visas available for both Mexican nationals and workers from northern Central America. In addition, Mexico and the United States are exploring policies to strengthen Mexicans' labor rights and protect children in a situation of mobility, in line with the commitments made at the 9th Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, California.