Durrant Pate/Contributor

As discussions continue on strengthening overseas employment opportunities for Jamaican workers, the Government of Jamaica is moving ahead with plans to expand access to the United States’ H-2A and H-2B work visa programmes. 

To this extent, a meeting was recently convened at the Embassy of Jamaica in Washington, D.C. involving Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States, Major General (Ret’d) Antony Anderson; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Mrs. Colette Roberts Risden; Counsellor for Trade and Economic Affairs at the Embassy of Jamaica, Aliceia Taylor and Liaison Officers, Sheldon Brown and Mrs. Karlene Brown.

The meeting focused on the current performance and future growth of Jamaica’s overseas employment programmes, which remain intact despite broader immigration enforcement measures in the US. Both Ambassador Anderson and Mrs. Roberts Risden, who holds oversight responsibility for overseas employment programmes in America and Canada, underscored the importance of the H-2A and H-2B visa programmes to Jamaica’s economic stability, particularly for rural communities that rely heavily on seasonal employment abroad. 

The meeting took on added significance amid Jamaica’s ongoing recovery from Hurricane Melissa and agreed that overseas employment programmes are a vital tool in the recovery process, providing income opportunities that directly support families and communities affected by the disaster. The Embassy of Jamaica in Washington reaffirmed its commitment to deepening labour cooperation with the United States and ensuring that Jamaican workers continue to access dignified, well-regulated employment opportunities overseas. 

Emerging opportunities

Mrs Roberts Risden provided an update on emerging opportunities, including new pathways for Jamaican Commercial Driver’s Licence (CDL) holders and workers trained in heavy machinery and equipment operation. These sectors, she noted, align well with Jamaica’s English-speaking workforce. For his part, Ambassador Anderson emphasised the long-standing bilateral labour partnership between Jamaica and the United States, describing the programmes as a critical pillar of economic resilience.

“Jamaica’s overseas employment programmes continue to be a pillar of economic resilience for our Jamaican workers and rural communities. Through our longstanding partnership with the United States, the Embassy remains committed to expanding safe, orderly, and mutually beneficial labour pathways, especially as we rebuild and create new opportunities in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa,” Anderson declared.

The discussions also reflected on the historical roots of the programme, which dates back to 1943 when Jamaican workers first travelled to the United States during World War II to help address labour shortages. Over the past eight decades, the arrangement has grown into one of the most successful bilateral labour programmes in the Western Hemisphere.

Recent figures highlight its continued strength. In the last programme year, approximately 5,000 Jamaican workers were employed seasonally in the US agricultural sector under the H-2A visa programme, while more than 12,000 Jamaicans participated in the H-2B programme, supporting industries such as hospitality and landscaping.

Beyond job placement, the United States has provided Jamaica with technical assistance in key areas of labour governance, including labour market information systems, child labour prevention, occupational safety and health standards, and initiatives to combat trafficking in persons. Roberts Risden was accompanied on her visit by liaison officers Sheldon Brown and Karlene Brown, who work directly with Jamaican participants in the programmes.