Uzbekistan, US reach new agreement on labor migration

Last week, Behzod Musayev, the head of the Migration Agency, held online negotiations with Manuel Fick, the founder of the organization USA Farm Labor. The discussions focused on the organized recruitment of Uzbek citizens for agricultural labor under the H-2A visa program.

According to the agency, this marks the first agreement of its kind with a US-based organization. Participants in the program will be eligible to work on American farms and ranches for a duration of 9-10 months. The monthly salary for these positions is expected to be approximately $3,500.

In addition to the competitive wages, US employers will provide seasonal workers with designated housing. The agency noted that while the program is open to applicants, priority during the recruitment process will be given to highly qualified specialists with relevant agricultural experience.

Following the negotiations, both parties signed a formal cooperation agreement and pledged to implement the subsequent stages of the partnership as quickly as possible.

The initiative aligns with recent directives from President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. In January, the president instructed Furkat Sidikov, the Ambassador of Uzbekistan to the US, to negotiate the inclusion of the republic in the list of countries eligible for seasonal labor recruitment. Furthermore, the president has tasked officials with securing intergovernmental migration agreements with several European nations, as well as Japan and Oman.