H-2A vs H-2B: 5 Differences for Seasonal Workers

H-2A and H-2B are the two visas U.S. employers use to hire temporary seasonal workers from abroad. H-2A is for agricultural jobs, like farming, harvesting, and caring for livestock. H-2B is for non-agricultural seasonal jobs, like landscaping, hotel work, seafood processing, and construction.

The five differences below are the ones that affect your work, your pay, and where you live.

1. H-2A covers agricultural work, H-2B covers non-agricultural work

The H-2A visa is for farm work: planting, harvesting, packing crops, and caring for livestock. The H-2B visa is for almost every other kind of temporary seasonal work, such as landscaping, hotel and resort jobs, seafood processing, amusement parks, and seasonal construction.

This is the first thing that separates the two, and it decides which set of rules applies to your job.

2. The H-2B visa has an annual cap, and H-2A doesn't

There is no yearly limit on H-2A visas, so availability isn't the bottleneck. H-2B is capped at 66,000 visas a year, split between the two halves of the year. Demand runs well past that, and the cap is often reached within days.

For the 2026 fiscal year, the government added about 64,716 supplemental H-2B visas, bringing the total to roughly 130,716, as noted by USCIS. Even with that increase, H-2B slots are competitive, so timing matters.

3. H-2A housing and transportation rules that H-2B doesn't have

If you're hired on an H-2A visa and can't reasonably travel home each day, your employer must provide housing at no cost to you and can't charge you for it. H-2A employers also have to cover your daily transportation to the worksite.

H-2B employers aren't required to provide housing at all. That difference can change your real take-home pay and your day-to-day life a great deal, so it helps to know which visa covers your job before you accept.

4. How H-2A and H-2B wages are set and what the employer covers

On an H-2A visa, your employer must pay the highest of the Adverse Effect Wage Rate, a special farmworker wage set by the Department of Labor, the local prevailing wage, or the minimum wage. H-2A employers also cover your travel to and from the job, provide the tools you need, and guarantee you at least three-fourths of the hours in your contract.

On an H-2B visa, your employer pays the local prevailing wage for the job. Under both programs, the employer isn't allowed to charge you recruitment or filing fees.

5. How long you can stay on an H-2A or H-2B visa

Neither visa is a path you can stay on forever. H-2A work is tied to a specific agricultural season, often up to about ten months at a stretch, and H-2B work follows the employer's seasonal need. On either visa, you can generally build up to three years of stay, after which you usually have to leave the United States for a set period, around 60 days, before returning.

Find U.S. employers that hire seasonal workers

Seasonal work on an H-2A or H-2B visa starts with an employer willing to hire and sponsor you. Migrate Mate lists roles at U.S. employers with a verified history of sponsoring work visas, backed by government disclosure data on their past filings and verified direct contact for hiring managers. You can also create a candidate profile so employers looking for seasonal workers can find and reach you directly.

Frequently asked questions