Colombians Eligible For 20,000 Additional US Work & Summer Job Visas, But Must Apply Quickly

After successful bilateral talks between the US State Department and Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo, both sides announced new opportunities to work and study in the United States through either the H-2B visa program for seasonal or temporary non-agricultural workers, or through the Summer Work Travel and Camp Counselor Programs, which allow young people from around the world the chance to earn money and experience American culture working at fun places, like Cedar Point, Kings Island, Vail Resorts, Universal Destinations, Hershey Park, and hundreds of other destinations that hire extra staff during the busy summer vacation months.

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As first announced by our colleagues at EmpleoBilingue.com, Interested workers must hurry, because the application window has already opened! 20,000 visas are reserved for nationals of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Haiti, Colombia, Ecuador, and Costa Rica for the entirety of FY 2024. Citizens of other eligible countries may also apply under different allocations, see the table below for eligibility.

We reached out to our friends at the US State Department, and a US Embassy Bogotá spokesperson told us the following:

Every year, the United States welcomes thousands of foreign workers through the H-2B visa program to fill temporary, nonagricultural jobs in the United States.  This year, in line with the Biden Administration’s commitment to expand lawful pathways as an alternative to irregular migration, the H-2B visa program includes a special allotment of 20,000 visas for workers from seven countries, including Colombia.  H-2B visas are nonimmigrant visas that allow U.S. employers or agencies to temporarily employ foreign workers in the United States to fill urgent workforce demands.  U.S. businesses in industries such as hospitality, tourism, landscaping, seafood processing, and more rely on seasonal and temporary workers in the H2-B program to help them meet demand.  In order to apply for an H2-B visa, a U.S. employer or agency must petition for the workers they want to bring to the United States.  Only foreign workers whose petitions have been approved by the Department of Homeland Security can apply for an H-2B visa.  Because of this, anyone interested in applying for an H-2B visa must first search for U.S. companies seeking H-2B workers and contact the company to secure a job.  One useful database of seasonal and temporary job openings is https://seasonaljobs.dol.gov/

In addition to the H2-B program, thousands of Colombian university students visit the United States every summer as part of the Summer Work Travel and Camp Counselor programs.  Through these special exchanges, young Colombians work  at U.S. summer camps all over the country or as seasonal or temporary employees for U.S.-based companies.  On May 4, the U.S.  Embassy opened its doors to 1,000 Colombian university students applying for J-1 visas to participate.  For more information on how to apply for the summer work and travel program, please visit: https://j1visa.state.gov/programs/summer-work-travel#participants

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According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Service, effective Nov. 9, 2023, nationals from the following countries are eligible to participate in the H-2B program:

Above photo: Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio (Photo: Loren Moss)