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  2. Employment & Training
  3. Job Seeker
  4. MSFW

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Services for Migrant Seasonal Farm Workers

DWD provides the same range of services to Migrant and Seasonal Farm Workers (MSFWs) as are provided to non-MSFW job seekers. The States are required to deliver all workforce development related services, benefits and protections, career guidance/counseling, testing, job development, job training, and referral services to MSFWs on an equitable and non-discriminatory basis.

Outreach Monitor Advocates Foreign Labor Certification

Outreach

A bunch of workers walking down the farm field

Federal regulations require that States conduct outreach to MSFWs who are not being reached by normal intake activities conducted by local job center offices. Outreach staff contact MSFWs in their living, working, or gathering areas to inform MSFWs about services available from the local job center offices, including the availability of referrals to agricultural and non-agricultural employment and training, referral to support services, testing, counseling, and other job development services, etc. Outreach staff also provide information about the Job Service Complaint System, farm worker rights, and services provided by community-based organizations.

Contact a MSFWs Specialist (bilingual in English/Spanish) for more information about the above services. They are also available to assist farmworkers in filing a complaint either in person or over the phone.

Monitor Advocates

Monitor Advocate Services were established at the National, Regional, and State levels to monitor services to Migrant and Seasonal Farm Workers and ensure compliance with DOL regulations.

Some of the responsibilities of the State Monitor Advocate (SMA) are to monitor Wisconsin Job Centers to ensure equity of services to MSFWs, ensure needs or complaints submitted through the Job Service Complaint System are addressed or referred to partners (i.e. Wage and Hour, OSHA, others) and to follow up on referred complaints.

For more information on MSFWs, please see the US Department of Labor MSFWs website.

Foreign Labor Certification

A bunch of workers sitting in rowsin the farm field

Foreign Labor Certification programs allow employers to hire foreign workers if employers can demonstrate that there are not enough U.S. workers available that are willing and qualified to perform the work at wages that meet or exceed the prevailing wage for the occupation in the area of employment. Temporary and permanent foreign labor certification programs are designed to ensure that the admission of foreign workers into the U.S. will not adversely affect the job opportunities, wages, and working conditions of U.S. workers.

Please visit the Foreign Labor Certification website for resources and information about foreign labor certification programs.

For questions regarding H-2A and H-2B labor certifications, please email FLC@dwd.wisconsin.gov.