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The US State Department says it will make exceptions to its recent travel ban to high-risk Covid countries like South Africa, for workers who meet critical skill requirements for the country’s agricultural sector.
Specifically, the waiver will be made for those participating in the H-2 visa program, which the department said is essential to the US economy and food security.
H-2 visas allow US employers to hire foreign workers to come to the United States temporarily and perform agricultural or non-agricultural services due to an anticipated shortage of domestic labor.
“Therefore, we intend to continue to process H-2 applications for individuals who provide temporary labor or essential services to the United States food supply chain, as postal resources and US restrictions allow. local government, ”he said.
H-2A and H-2B applicants who avail themselves of the Presidential Proclamation of January 25, 2021, that is, the Covid-19 travel ban, in which South Africa was specifically named, who are necessary to guarantee the chains of food supply, will be considered as an exception.
The department specifically mentioned the need for farm workers with skills such as:
- Seafood processors;
- Fish cutters;
- Salmon roe technicians;
- Agricultural machinery mechanics;
- Agricultural workers;
- and others.
The Department said that applicants applying for a visa will be considered for an exception at the time of the interview.
While there are several temporary jobs available through the visa program, the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) said it specifically sent a letter to the Secretary of State and Homeland Security requesting an exemption for South African agricultural work.
“We appreciate the swift action by the State Department to address a critical need for American agriculture,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall.
“South African farm workers bring unique and valuable skills to the farms on which they are employed. American farmers trust the H-2A program to provide a strong workforce and we are committed to ensuring their safety as we continue to provide healthy and affordable food for families across the country. ”
Travel ban
US President Joe Biden introduced new travel restrictions for the United States last week, including a travel ban to and from South Africa.
The ban prevents entry to most non-US citizens if they have recently been to South Africa, due to the new variant of Covid-19 that has been identified in the country.
Biden also reimposes an entry ban on nearly all non-U.S. Travelers who have been to Brazil, the UK, Ireland and 26 countries in Europe that allow travel across open borders.
“We are adding South Africa to the shortlist because of the current worrying variant that has already spread beyond South Africa,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, CDC’s senior deputy director, in an interview.
He added that the agency was “implementing this set of measures to protect Americans and also to reduce the risk that these variants will spread and worsen the current pandemic.”
The variant, currently called “variant 501.V2”, was identified by genomics scientists in South Africa and formally announced by the government in late December.
Read: South African Companies to Help Finance and Facilitate Vaccine Launch
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