JCLO-Driven Overseas Employment Programme Strengthening Economies, Empowering Jamaican Workers

Over the years, the Overseas Employment Programme has been pivotal in strengthening the economies of both Jamaica and the United States of America (USA).

It has provided vital financing support, allowing many Jamaican families to enhance their standard of living.

The Jamaica Central Labour Organisation (JCLO) oversees the employment of Jamaican agricultural and hospitality workers in the USA.

Established in 1943, JCLO operates under the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and serves as an annex of the Jamaican Embassy in Washington DC.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Colette Roberts Risden, who is currently on special assignment overseeing the Overseas Employment Programmes in Canada and the US, noted that while the JCLO provides support to H-2B (non-agricultural) workers, a significant amount of time and effort is dedicated to H-2A (agricultural) workers.

“We are responsible for overseeing the general welfare of Jamaican temporary agricultural and hospitality workers while they’re… in the United States; we work to assist in the assimilation of workers within the United States. We do understand that there are cultural differences, and we have a team of liaison officers that provide support to our workers and employers,” Mrs. Roberts Risden said.

She was speaking during a recent JCLO webinar aimed at raising awareness about the organisation’s role in facilitating employment for Jamaicans in the USA, with a particular focus on educating participants about recruiting Jamaican farmworkers.

The Permanent Secretary noted that, through the Ministry, the JCLO assists employers in identifying Jamaican workers and resolving any worker-related issues—whether encountered by employers in the United States or by workers while abroad.

“We do recognise that workers are here, away from home and their families, and at times will need some kind of support. We assist employers, agents and labour contractors to navigate the H-2A programme as it relates to working with Jamaica,” Mrs. Roberts Risden stated.

She explained that the Government oversees the H-2A process from Jamaica and also maintains a pool of workers.

“That pool is pre-screened for their suitability to work in the programme. The workers undergo a police background check, and we work with the employer and agents to either select workers from the pool [employers can do their own selection]… as well as we do have employers that say to us, ‘give us the skill sets that [we] require’, and we provide the workers to them,” Mrs. Roberts Risden stated.

“We assist the workers to complete the visa application process, and we submit the visa application to the U.S. Embassy in Jamaica. We [also] assist in contacting workers for their flights, and we also transport those workers to the airport; but before we transport them to the airport, we conduct an orientation exercise with our workers,” she added.

Mrs. Roberts Risden further indicated that “employers make travel arrangements for the workers, or their agents can make those travel arrangements for the workers to get to the employer”.

“We ensure that those workers get on those flights, because the Government of Jamaica provides transportation to the airport from our flight processing centre in Kingston,” she said, noting similar programmed arrangements for Montego Bay.

The Permanent Secretary stated that while the Government acknowledges the programme’s benefit to the United States, the overseas work programme is of tremendous value to Jamaica and its economy.

She pointed out that it provides employment, helps to build families and improves the economy in Jamaica.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Roberts Risden encouraged potential employers to consider Jamaicans as their preferred choice for employees.

“We have a long history, experience, and track record from 1943. At this moment, the majority of our workers are in New England… the states of New York, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. That’s where the majority of our workers go, and we also have workers in Washington state and many other states,” she said.

“When you choose Jamaica, you are choosing to work with the Government, and you have the support of the Government. The Government works very closely with the US Embassy in Kingston to ensure that those H-2A visas are processed on time. We have a qualified pool of workers pre-screened to choose from, and I may add that our workers are English-speaking,” Mrs. Roberts Risden said.

She stated that the Government has a streamlined process from selection to orientation to transportation.

The farm-work (H-2A visa) programme is a household name in Jamaica with more than 90 per cent of the participants being repeat workers.

“A diversified workforce is an asset to many Jamaicans. When you choose Jamaica, you will have a dedicated liaison officer that will provide support to both employers and workers. The Government does not charge for its services because of the mutual benefit that this programme provides to both of our economies,” Mrs. Roberts Risden stated.

Non-Immigrant Visa Chief at the US Embassy in Kingston, David Johnson, emphasised Jamaica’s vital role in the H-2A sector.

“We maintain virtually immediate availability for H-2 interviews, here in Kingston, to make sure we get applicants to their work sites on time. The vast majority of H-2A applications in Kingston are qualified renewals and are adjudicated without an interview, and that also occurs very quickly. Jamaica is second in the world to mission Mexico in overall H-2 volume, with about 17,000 applications annually,” Mr. Johnson said.

“While most of ours are H-2B, non-agricultural, that’s about 12,000 per year, the process for H-2A and H-2B here is virtually the same. Our current volume [is] a fraction of Mexico’s. But we consult frequently with their subject matter experts, we share best practices and incorporate many of the same screening processes and efficiencies to facilitate timely travel for qualified workers. H-2 visas have generally been less than 10 per cent of Kingston’s total non-immigrant visa volume. But we recognise the key role that these visas play in the US and Jamaican economies, and so we prioritise them accordingly,” he added.