Achieving Dreams Abroad

A tool for young Hondurans’ economic empowerment

While working in the U.S., Bryan graduated from prepping vegetables and meat to preparing dishes for customers. Here he is grilling meat in the restaurant’s kitchen. / USAID

Two years ago, Bryan Cárcamo, a young Honduran man, boarded a plane for the first time and headed toward South Carolina. With butterflies in his stomach, he was unsure of what to expect when landing at Hilton Head Island. As a temporary work visa holder, Bryan had a job awaiting him at Marriott’s SurfWatch Resort.

“On the plane, I was nervous, afraid, but excited to gain a new perspective on the world,” Bryan said. “At the same time, I had this sensation of relief — that I could travel to the United States on a plane in complete comfort.”

Bryan’s work experience in Honduras consisted of unstable and informal short-term jobs as a painter or electrician. Often, Bryan would work long hours — sometimes sleeping onsite because of early starts and late nights, with no overtime pay. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, even those informal jobs were hard to come by.

Like nearly 1 million other Hondurans, Bryan was unemployed for all of 2020, until one day in 2021 Bryan saw a social media post on the Temporary Work Abroad Program supported by USAID.

The Honduran Government Center where the Temporary Abroad Program Offices are located. /USAID

Supporting Legal Pathways to Better Economic Opportunities

In Honduras, USAID supports the Honduran Secretary of Labor and Social Security to refer properly skilled personnel for short-term work opportunities abroad in the United States, Spain, Canada, and on cruise ships. In the United States, the Temporary Work Abroad Program links Hondurans with agricultural (H-2A) or non-agricultural and service-oriented jobs (H-2B). H-2B visa holders typically work in construction, landscaping, amusement parks, resorts, and restaurants. USAID also provides support through C-1/D visas for workers on cruise ships and other vessels, such as cargo ships, that enter U.S. waters.

The temporary worker program creates lawful, safe, and orderly pathways for work abroad. Temporary workers fill positions in the United States where there is a labor shortage and where the hiring of foreign workers does not adversely affect jobs available for U.S. workers.

Since USAID began supporting the Temporary Work Abroad Program in 2020, more than 12,000 Hondurans secured visas for work abroad, the most in the visa program’s history in Honduras. This year alone, the program has directly matched about 1,500 Honduran workers with 162 U.S. companies, and contributed to the issuance of nearly 5,000 H-2 visas for Honduran workers.

Bryan describes himself as a curious person who loves to learn. He is a lover of books, philosophy, and photography. / USAID

A Win-Win for Marriott and Bryan

Bryan describes himself as a curious person who loves to read and is a photography enthusiast. In his first three months in South Carolina, Bryan achieved his top personal goal: to learn a lot.

“I learned how to work under pressure,” he said. “At the beginning, I chopped vegetables, took out the meat to thaw, cleaned and turned on all of the kitchen equipment. After a while, I perfected those tasks and moved on to preparing dishes. Towards the end, I was able to prepare 12 or 13 different dishes.”

His fears about how his fellow co-workers would regard him quickly dissipated. He recalls how “they made me feel at home right away.” Some of his fondest memories are with his colleagues at the Marriott. He gained more English language proficiency and feels empowered to continue his online studies. In his free time, he liked to experiment with new recipes for his friends to try.

While working in the U.S., Bryan graduated from prepping vegetables and meat to preparing dishes for customers. Here he is showing off his vegetable chopping skills. / USAID

U.S. companies are key advocates for the hiring of foreign temporary workers. By helping mitigate labor shortages, these workers help U.S. companies increase productivity and revenues and drive economic growth.

Bryan’s employers were so pleased with his work that he renewed his visa and returned the following year, this time for a seven-month contract. When he was offered a new opportunity by the same company this year, he did not hesitate to say yes.

“I am very satisfied with my coworkers and bosses,” Bryan said. “I have been really impressed by how I have been treated and how everyone respects one another. My coworkers and I, in our free time we listen to music from our countries, hang out in the kitchen and dance, and we miss each other when we go home.”

Bryan and his colleagues pose for a photo at their end of season staff party at the Marriott SurfWatch resort. Bryan says some of his fondest memories from his summers in the U.S. were of the time he spent with his colleagues. / Courtesy of Bryan Cárcamo

The Future is Promising

Before his work opportunity abroad, Bryan was unemployed and desperate for work. His salary at the Marriott is about 10 times higher than what he earned as a painter or electrician in Honduras. Now that he is on better financial footing, Bryan can make his own life decisions instead of being forced to make a dangerous, illegal journey to the United States.

Once his contract ends, Bryan plans to return to Honduras to pursue a career in gastronomy. Bryan has gained invaluable life skills and professional experience. His future in Honduras is full of possibilities.

Bryan shows off a dish he prepared using the skills he learned on the job in South Carolina. / USAID

The Temporary Work Abroad Program has provided countless young Hondurans like Bryan extraordinary economic opportunities that reduce incentives for migrating irregularly to the United States.

“Honestly, I am so grateful for the opportunity USAID has given me,” Bryan said. “I know I will keep moving forward.”

About the Authors

Claudia Calderon Solis is a Development Outreach & Communications Specialist at USAID’s Mission in Honduras, and Shaina Brassard is a writer from USAID’s Transforming Market Systems Activity.