Guest workers from five additional countries are now eligible to apply for visas to work in Massachusetts and other states, according to an announcement made recently by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Haiti is among the handful of newly approved countries, where residents now can apply for H-2A and H-2B temporary work visas.

Haitians and seasonal workers from Spain, Montenegro, Switzerland and Iceland join the list of immigrants from 53 other countries welcome to work in the United States. Applications from nationals on the new U.S. Department of Homeland Security-approved list are for low-skilled positions.

H-2A visas are reserved for temporary agriculture workers. H-2B visas are issued to help fill needs for companies with short-term, seasonal overflow in the hotel, food and construction industries.

The addition of Haiti to the government program is hailed by immigration proponents and several lawmakers as a life-saver for Haitian families, who lost homes and jobs following a destructive earthquake in the island nation in 2010.

The guest worker program permits foreign workers to enter the United States legally for a specified time. Some food growers criticize the federal rules attached to hiring temporary workers from outside the country, calling the laws too complex and expensive.

Some agricultural employers admit they hire undocumented immigrants instead of guest workers to avoid spending a lot of time and money to follow immigration rules.

Legally importing guest workers through the H2-A and H-2B programs requires employers to pay prevailing wages, which some companies claim are too high compared to under-the-table pay given to illegal immigrants. Employers are also responsible for workers' housing and job transportation.

Source: Miami Herald, "Haiti workers can now apply for US guest work visas," Jacqueline Charles, Jan. 18, 2012