# 2026-15673: DOL updates Adverse Effect Wages for H-2A farm workers

2026-15673, Labor Certification Process for the Temporary Employment of Foreign Workers in Agriculture in the United States: Adverse Effect Wage Rate Updates for Non-Range Occupations, is a Federal Register notice from Labor Department, Employment and Training Administration published 2026-08-03, effective 2026-08-03; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-08-10).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-15673
- As of: 2026-08-10
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-15673
- Title: Labor Certification Process for the Temporary Employment of Foreign Workers in Agriculture in the United States: Adverse Effect Wage Rate Updates for Non-Range Occupations
- Type: Notice
- Agencies: Labor Department; Employment and Training Administration
- Citation: 91 FR 48946
- Published: 2026-08-03
- Effective: 2026-08-03
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: yes
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-08-10

## In one line

DOL updates Adverse Effect Wages for H-2A farm workers

## Summary

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) of the Department of Labor (DOL) is issuing this notice to announce updates to the Adverse Effect Wage Rates (AEWR) for the employment of temporary or seasonal nonimmigrant foreign workers (H-2A workers) to perform agricultural labor or services in non-range occupations. AEWRs are the minimum wage rates that must be offered, advertised in recruitment, and paid by employers to H-2A workers and workers in corresponding employment to ensure that the wages and working conditions of workers in the United States similarly employed are not adversely affected.

## Effects PRIA read

- New AEWRs Effective August 3, 2026: mixed, medium. If you hire or work as an H-2A agricultural non-range worker, the Department of Labor published updated Adverse Effect Wage Rates (AEWRs that set minimum pay) effective August 3, 2026. For entities and states covered by the Kansas et al. court order, the effective date is August 17, 2026.
- AEWRs Based on BLS OEWS Data: mixed, medium. The AEWRs for non-range H-2A jobs are calculated using Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) data (May 2025 estimates). The DOL uses two skill levels—Skill Level I (entry) and Skill Level II (experience)—and applies housing compensation adjustments when worke…
- Average AEWR Set at $15.96: cost, medium. The notice publishes the ‘‘average AEWR’’ used to calculate required bond amounts for H-2A labor contractors as $15.96. That average AEWR is the simple average across the AEWRs applicable to SOC 45-2092 and is used under 20 CFR 655.132(c)(2)(ii).
- Obligation to Pay Updated AEWRs During Contracts: mixed, medium. If the AEWR is updated during an H-2A work contract and the new AEWR is higher than previously applicable wage sources, employers must pay the updated AEWR starting on its effective date. If the updated AEWR is lower than the wage guaranteed on the job order, employers must continue paying the guar…

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## Sources
- [2026-15673 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/03/2026-15673/labor-certification-process-for-the-temporary-employment-of-foreign-workers-in-agriculture-in-the)
- [2026-15673 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-08-03/pdf/2026-15673.pdf)

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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-15673 (as of 2026-08-10).