Prosperous, Secure, and Dignified Lives
How USAID is connecting Guatemalans with seasonal work in the United States
Carlos Garcia and his father run a family-owned auto repair shop in Mazatenango, Guatemala. In 2020, business all but stopped when the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a strict shutdown.
Facing growing household expenses, Carlos questioned his resolve to not irregularly migrate to the United States to earn money. Thanks to the Guatemalan Government and USAID, he found a way to legally work in the United States: the Seasonal Labor Program.
“A lot of people told me to ‘go illegally’ to the United States, but I did not want to go that way,” Carlos said. “My family is far too important.”
USAID’s Creating Economic Opportunities project helps connect Guatemalans to temporary, legal employment in the U.S., after which they are able to return to Guatemala and achieve prosperous lives at home.
Many Guatemalans face the same economic pressures as Carlos and his family. A recent study found 65% of Guatemalans who intend to migrate do so in the search of economic opportunities. Guatemala has the youngest population in Latin America — 61% of the population is under the age of 30. Every year, about 150,000 young Guatemalans enter the workforce and compete for only 35,000 formal jobs. There are simply not enough jobs in Guatemala to meet the demand.
The Seasonal Labor Program promotes regular, secure, and temporary migration for eligible Guatemalan workers to the United States, filling jobs in industries that the U.S. Department of Labor certifies are not filled by permanent U.S. workers.
To respond to increased requests from U.S. companies looking to fill temporary worker shortages with Guatemalan employees, the Guatemalan Government worked with USAID to create a recruiting process that is transparent, efficient, and ethical.
USAID helped the Guatemalan Government’s Ministry of Labor open and staff a Labor Mobility Unit, which is responsible for processing seasonal work applications. USAID’s support enabled the unit to decrease the time it took to process employers’ petitions by more than half, from 55 days to 22 days. Since 2019, the Labor Mobility Unit has screened 11,000 qualified applicants who are ready to temporarily and legally work for U.S. companies.
For Carlos, irregular migration was not an option. He did not want to risk his life or leave his family for an indefinite time.
“Some people go and never come back,” he said. “They put their houses or land up as collateral, and they don’t make it to the U.S. Their situation goes from bad to worse. Or, if they do make it, they have to stay for many years to pay their debt to coyotes.”
In June 2020, Carlos matched with an employer — a landscaping company in Houston, Texas — and applied for an H-2B work visa. “The paperwork and everything was easy with the Labor Mobility Unit,” said Carlos.
Carlos received his H-2B visa and went to work in Houston, where he had full time work at equal pay to that of a U.S. worker. A skilled mechanic, Carlos started out trimming trees, but was soon promoted to work maintaining the company’s fleet of trucks.
For Guatemalan workers, the Seasonal Labor Program is a legal and safe way to earn money, support their families, and return home. For U.S. companies, the program provides access to a dedicated and skilled workforce at a time of domestic labor shortages. Many companies find that Guatemalans have a strong work ethic. They take advantage of their investment in these workers by rehiring the same employee for multiple seasons and even year after year.
Carlos is now able to pay for his daughter’s education. He can come home for her graduation and all the other moments in life that a parent doesn’t want to miss.
As he stands amid the construction of the second floor of his house, he comments:
“It has been very difficult during the pandemic. Opportunities to work were scarce. My job in the U.S. was really a blessing.”
USAID is committed to working with the Guatemalan Government to promote regular and secure temporary labor opportunities in the United States for eligible Guatemalan workers. These opportunities enable them to achieve prosperous, secure, and dignified lives at home in Guatemala, advancing Guatemala’s development goals.
About the Author
Benjamin Ilka is a storyteller and visual media specialist at USAID’s Mission in Guatemala.
