How to Verify an H-2A or H-2B US Recruitment Offer

Verify H-2A and H-2B job offers, check US employers and recruiters, understand visa costs, wages and worker rights, and avoid recruitment scams. A US recruitment offer can look convincing and still be fraudulent. Scammers copy real company names, government job orders and immigration documents to sell nonexistent jobs.

Before paying a visa consultant, sharing your passport or booking relocation services, verify three things independently: the job, the recruiter’s authority and the immigration process. A genuine employer-sponsored work visa requires more than an offer letter.

H-2A vs H-2B: Which Visa Fits the Job?

H-2B employers must establish a temporary need, such as seasonal, peakload, intermittent or one-time demand. Construction vacancies do not qualify automatically simply because an employer needs workers.

H-2A has no annual numerical cap. H-2B has a statutory annual cap of 66,000, with any additional allocations governed by separate rules. Neither category is an unrestricted US work permit or automatic permanent residence pathway.

Sources: USCIS H-2A, DOL H-2B, H-2B cap.

How to Verify the Offer Before Paying

1. Request the complete recruitment details

Ask for the employer’s legal name, worksite address, job title, hourly wage, weekly hours, contract dates, recruiter’s name and Department of Labor ETA case number. Obtain the full job order and all wage, housing and deduction addenda.

A recruiter who refuses to identify the employer or provide written terms is not ready for verification.

2. Find the government job record yourself

Search SeasonalJobs.dol.gov using the employer name or case number. Compare the duties, location, wages, dates and application contacts with the offer.

Check whether the listing is active. A government listing is useful evidence, but it does not prove USCIS approval, visa availability, an open vacancy or the recruiter’s authority. If no record appears, ask the employer about the application stage before concluding that the offer is genuine or fraudulent.

3. Contact the employer independently

Use the telephone number or email published in the government record or independently verified company website. Ask whether the employer authorized the named recruiter, whether the position remains available and whether applicants from your country are being considered.

A genuine company may be impersonated. A corporate logo, video interview or WhatsApp conversation is insufficient proof.

4. Check the recruiter and employer’s history

For H-2B, search the DOL Foreign Labor Recruiter List. Compare names, locations and associated case numbers. Inclusion is not government endorsement or a guarantee of honesty. Absence alone does not conclusively prove fraud.

Also check the employer’s state business registration and DOL’s current debarment information. A registered business can still violate recruitment rules.

5. Separate labor certification from petition approval

The employer generally needs a temporary labor certification, followed by an approved USCIS Form I-129 petition. Ask for the petition receipt number and approval details when available. Check the number through USCIS Case Status Online.

A valid receipt number does not prove that you are covered by the petition. Some H-2 petitions cover unnamed workers. Confirm coverage with the employer and, where necessary, a licensed US immigration attorney. Petition approval also does not guarantee visa issuance.

6. Reject prohibited recruitment charges

Do not pay to reserve a job, buy sponsorship or secure guaranteed embassy approval. H-2 rules prohibit specified recruitment and employment-related charges to workers.

H-2B employers must pay or reimburse covered visa and visa-related fees in the first workweek. Transportation reimbursement follows additional rules. Ask for a written breakdown distinguishing official fees, reimbursable expenses and personal costs, such as obtaining a passport.

Sources: USCIS H-2B, DOL transportation and visa fees.

Construction Jobs and Salary Expectations

Qualifying H-2B construction work may involve site preparation, trench digging, concrete support, material handling and assisting tradespeople. Skilled duties can require experience, licensing or other qualifications specified in the job order.

Government listings show why applicants should verify the exact wage rather than trust a generic salary promise:

These are individual 2026 job-order examples, not national salary ranges or guaranteed current openings. Read all addenda before assuming the headline wage applies to you.

At $25.52 for 40 hours, illustrative gross weekly pay is $1,020.80 before taxes and deductions. Seasonal work should not be advertised as a guaranteed 12-month salary. Overtime eligibility, actual hours and net earnings depend on the work and applicable law.

Sources: T ROCK job order, West Coast Turf job order.

Employers With Recorded H-2 Job Orders

Both examples below were marked inactive when reviewed. Their published contacts can help verify an offer or ask about future recruitment. They are not confirmed open sponsorship vacancies. Addresses are recorded worksites, not necessarily headquarters.

T ROCK CONSTRUCTION INC, H-2B

• Worksite: 35 Carson Street, Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania 15012.
• Published recruitment phone: +1 724-938-9246.
• Email: tim@trockconstruction.com.
• Case: H-400-26184-075905.
• Recorded contract: 1 October to 18 December 2026.
• Application: confirm an active vacancy through the employer’s published contact before submitting documents.

West Coast Turf Farm, H-2A

• Worksite: 1570 Howard Road, Livingston, California 95334.
• Published recruitment phone: +1 760-340-7300.
• Email: mail@westcoastturf.com.
• Case: H-300-26006-539404.
• Recorded contract: 7 March to 19 December 2026.
• Application: ask the published contact about current recruitment and authorized overseas recruiters.

International Recruitment Agency Contact

USA Farm Labor, Inc. provides H-2A services and maintains a separate worker recruitment website.

• Address: 2020 Dellwood Road, Waynesville, North Carolina 28786.
• Phone: +1 828-246-0659.
• Email: info@usafarmlabor.com.
• Employer website: usafarmlabor.com.
• Worker website: usafarmlaborworkers.com.

Its employer website expressly directs jobseekers to the worker site. Check which recruitment channels serve your country. Listing this organization is not an endorsement or confirmation that it currently recruits Nigerian applicants.

Source: agency contact page.

Visa Requirements and Documents

Applicants must meet the actual job requirements and applicable visa rules. A university degree is not a universal H-2 requirement, but experience, physical duties or driving qualifications may be required.

Prepare:

• A valid passport, normally valid for six months beyond the intended stay unless exempt.
• DS-160 confirmation page and interview appointment confirmation.
• Required photograph and official fee receipt.
• Employer petition receipt or approval information.
• Job order, employment terms and relevant qualification evidence.
• Any additional documents requested by the consular post.

The standard petition-based nonimmigrant visa application fee is $205. Check official instructions for additional nationality-based charges and employer reimbursement obligations.

Source: State Department temporary worker visas.

Steps to Get Employer Sponsorship and Apply

1. Find a suitable listing and follow its published recruitment instructions.
2. Verify the employer, recruiter, terms and application stage.
3. The employer completes required US recruitment and labor certification steps.
4. The employer files Form I-129 with USCIS.
5. After the required approval, complete DS-160 and follow the embassy’s appointment process.
6. Attend the interview and answer truthfully about the job and intended stay.
7. Travel only after visa issuance and confirmation of arrangements. At entry, check your I-94 admission record and authorized stay.

SeasonalJobs is a job-information resource, not a visa application portal. DOL and USCIS employer filings are not jobs that an overseas applicant can purchase.

Embassy Contacts and Work Visa Verification

For Nigerian applicants, start at ng.usembassy.gov. Follow its current visa instructions to reach the authorized appointment service.

These are general mission numbers, not job-placement hotlines. Embassy staff do not sell sponsorship or guarantee approval.

The January 2025 H-2 modernization rule removed the designated-country requirement. However, separate nationality-based restrictions still matter. The December 2025 proclamation restricts Nigerian immigrant entry and specified nonimmigrant categories; H-2A and H-2B are not among the listed suspended nonimmigrant categories. It also directs reduced validity for other nonimmigrant visas. Check current embassy guidance before paying or travelling.

Sources: mission contacts, H-2 final rule, entry proclamation.

Worker Benefits and Relocation Costs

H-2A generally includes free qualifying housing for workers unable to return home daily, required tools, workers’ compensation coverage and transportation protections. Its three-fourths guarantee generally requires an offer of at least 75% of the contract’s specified work hours.

H-2B does not universally require free housing. Check rent, transport, meals and permitted deductions before budgeting for relocation. Neither visa guarantees permanent settlement benefits. Before buying travel insurance, distinguish medical coverage from the employer’s workers’ compensation obligations.

Sources: DOL H-2A rights, New York DOL H-2B responsibilities.

Permanent Residence: What These Visas Do Not Promise

Express Entry and the Rural Community Immigration Pilot are Canadian programs. They cannot validate a US offer or convert an H-2 visa into a green card.

US employment-based permanent residence may involve EB-3 for eligible skilled workers, professionals or other workers, or EB-2 for qualifying advanced-degree or exceptional-ability applicants. EB-3 generally requires a permanent, full-time job, labor certification and an employer immigrant petition. This is a separate process with eligibility rules and visa queues.

For Nigerians, current immigrant-entry restrictions are an additional obstacle, subject to applicable exceptions and later changes. Obtain an individualized assessment from a licensed US immigration lawyer before purchasing green card processing services. No recruiter can guarantee an H-2-to-PR conversion.

Recruitment Scams and Immigration Mistakes to Avoid

Reject offers involving guaranteed visas, personal-account job deposits, tourist-visa employment, forged experience certificates or secret embassy contacts. Never surrender control of your application account or allow false DS-160 answers.

If using immigration legal services, verify the attorney’s active state-bar license and obtain written fees and scope. A visa consultant’s business registration does not establish authority to give US immigration legal advice.

Keep contracts, messages and receipts. US wage or labor-rights concerns can be raised with the Department of Labor at 1-866-487-2365. If recruitment payments appear fraudulent, contact your bank promptly and report through the appropriate local authorities.

Before accepting, independently confirm the employer, recruiter authorization, job order, petition stage, lawful fees and current visa rules.