HR3227-119

What This Bill Does

The Farm Workforce Modernization Act is a multi-title immigration, labor, and rural housing package. Title I creates certified agricultural worker status for applicants with at least 1,035 hours or 180 work days of recent U.S. agricultural labor, protects eligible applicants from removal while applications are pending, provides 5.5-year renewable status, requires employer employment records, authorizes long-term workers to adjust to lawful permanent residence after additional agricultural work and tax compliance, creates privacy rules, background checks, penalties for false statements, applicant grants, and reports. Title II streamlines H-2A through an electronic platform, Department of Labor and USDA roles, worker protections, wage reports, a portable H-2A pilot, permanent-residence access, farmworker housing preservation, new farmworker housing, vouchers, rental assistance, and technical improvements. Title II also registers foreign labor recruiters and funds Labor and State enforcement. Title III creates a new electronic employment eligibility verification system, applies it to agricultural employers on staged timelines by employer size, protects workers from misuse and discrimination, funds Social Security Administration verification costs, requires accuracy and misuse reports, and modernizes remote verification.

Who Benefits and How

Certified agricultural workers benefit from legal work authorization, protection from removal during application processing, renewable 5.5-year status, and a path to permanent residence. Farmworker families benefit because spouses and children can receive dependent status and, in some cases, permanent residence through the worker. Agricultural employers benefit from a stabilized workforce, employer protections for continuing to employ applicants, and a streamlined H-2A electronic platform. Farmworker housing providers benefit from permanent rural housing preservation authority, vouchers, rental assistance, new farmworker housing provisions, and USDA technology funding.

Who Bears the Burden and How

USCIS adjudication staff must process certified agricultural worker applications, extensions, adjustments, background checks, privacy restrictions, and appeals. Department of Labor wage staff must administer H-2A job orders, worker protections, wage reporting, recruiter registration, and enforcement. Agricultural employers must provide annual employment records, comply with H-2A protections, and phase into mandatory electronic verification. Foreign labor recruiters must register and face enforcement if they violate recruitment rules. SSA verification staff must support tentative nonconfirmation contests and receive quarterly funding under DHS agreements.

Key Provisions

• Creates certified agricultural worker status for experienced agricultural workers with recent U.S. farm labor and no disqualifying convictions.
• Provides renewable 5.5-year status, dependent status, work authorization, removal limits, and adjustment to permanent residence for long-term workers.
• Improves H-2A processing through an electronic platform, worker protections, wage review, a portable visa pilot, and farmworker housing supports.
• Requires agricultural employers to use a new electronic employment verification system on staged timelines and adds worker protections for verification misuse.
• Requires foreign labor recruiter registration, verification accuracy reports, SSA funding agreements, and remote verification modernization plans.