YAKIMA — The same day as new Adverse Effect Wage Rates were announced for farmworkers across the country, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security also issued a new rule aimed at streamlining the filing process for H-2A visas.

The H-2A program allows farmers to hire foreign workers for seasonal agricultural jobs if they can’t secure enough local workers. Generally, employer requests for H-2A labor go through two entities: the U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration. The former is responsible for reviewing and approving a farm’s contract, while the latter is responsible for issuing visas to workers.

Until recently, an application had to be completely approved by the Department of Labor before USCIS could begin processing a petition. As of Oct. 2, employers can electr

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