Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J Harper Applauds Trump Administration H-2A Visa Changes as “Huge Win for Georgia’s #1 Industry”

Tue, Oct 7 2025

ATLANTA, GA - Today, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J Harper issued the following statement praising the Trump Administration's proposed changes to the H-2A Visa Program that will save Georgia farmers millions in labor costs next year. The Trump Administration's proposed changes streamline the H-2A program's worker classification system and significantly lower Georgia's Adverse Effect Wage Rate.

"The Trump Administration's proposed changes to the H-2A visa program are a huge win for Georgia's #1 industry that will save Georgia farm families millions in labor costs next year," said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J Harper. "For some producers, these changes will be the deciding factor that allows them to produce a crop this year when they otherwise may not have, and I am incredibly grateful that President Trump continues to put American farmers first."

Georgia farmers rely heavily on the H-2A program, and the state consistently ranks among the top 3 H-2A states, with more than 37,500 H-2A positions. From 2022 to 2025, the Biden Administration increased Georgia's AEWR from $11.99 to $16.08 - a 31% increase that cost Georgia farmers more than $250 million in additional labor costs. In addition to streamlining the H-2A program's worker classification system, the Trump Administration's proposed rule sets Georgia's top AEWR at $16.22 with an adverse compensation adjustment of $1.75, making the effective rate $14.47 for 2026.

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Media contacts

• Matthew Agvent,Communications Director
• Liz Rivera-Brown,Deputy Communications Director

About the GDA
The Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) is the voice of the state's agriculture community. The department's mission is to provide excellence in services and regulatory functions, to protect and promote agriculture and consumer interests, and to ensure an abundance of safe food and fiber for Georgia, America, and the world by using state-of-the-art technology and a professional workforce.

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For more information, visit https://www.agr.georgia.gov.

Georgia Department of Agriculture
Tyler J Harper, Commissioner
19 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SW
Atlanta, GA 30334