The H-2A program moves roughly 380,000 certified positions a year through four federal agencies, on deadlines that don’t bend and at costs most providers won’t publish. These guides explain how it actually works — the real form names, the real windows, the real dollars — in plain English.
We keep them current (last review: August 2026), we label estimates as estimates, and where a figure changes annually we say so and point you to flag.dol.gov. When something needs a lawyer, we say that too.
The 75-day federal clock, phase by phase: the ETA-790A job order at 60 days, the ETA-9142A at 45, DOL certification, the I-129, the consulate, and the border. What happens when each window slips — and honest feasibility rules of thumb for how much runway your season really needs.
The full stack, itemized: AEWR wages by state range, housing and the meals cap, travel and subsistence reimbursement, every government fee, and the $400–$1,000+ market for service fees — with a worked example for a 20-worker season so you can check any quote, including ours.
The six records requests Wage & Hour investigators actually make: payroll against the AEWR, the ¾ guarantee arithmetic, housing inspections, transport safety and insurance, reimbursement timing, and the recruitment report — plus why continuous record-keeping beats end-of-season scrambling.
Most of this industry sells confusion: the price is behind a demo call, the deadlines are “complicated,” the rules are “better left to us.” We think growers who understand the program make better decisions — and better clients. Our fee is a flat $495 per worker per season, published on the homepage; whether you hire us or file yourself, these guides should save you real money and at least one missed deadline. Shorter answers live in the FAQ.
Two minutes in the quote tool gets you a filing calendar for your dates and an itemized all-in cost for your state and headcount. No sales call required.
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