Know the laws governing farmworker minimum wages and rights. Certify your business to hire foreign temporary agriculture workers or register as a farm labor contractor that hires migrant or seasonal agriculture workers.
Minimum wage coverage
All farm labor contractors in Idaho must be licensed to hire migrant or seasonal agricultural workers, and minimum wage is required with a few exceptions.
Farmworkers must be paid at least the state minimum wage of $7.25 an hour with a few exceptions.
Farm labor contractors
Under the law, all persons performing farm labor contractor activities on behalf of migrant and seasonal farmworkers in Idaho must:
- Be licensed by the state and pay an annual licensing fee.
- Post a surety bond to cover unpaid wages.
- Carry auto insurance for all vehicles used in the farm labor contracting business.
- Carry workers’ compensation coverage for all employees.
- Provide all employees at the time of hiring full disclosure of the conditions of employment.
Farm labor contractor forms
- FLC-001 Information Regarding Farm Labor Contractor Licensing
- FLC-002 Checklist
- FLC-003 Social Security Advisory
- FLC-004 Farm Labor Contractor’s License Application
- FLC-005 Farm Labor Contractor’s Vehicle Information Sheet
- FLC-006 Instructions for Completion of Farm Labor Contractor Bond
- FLC-007 Farm Labor Contractor Bond
Farm labor contractors licensed in Idaho
Idaho farm labor contractor licensing laws
Certify temporary foreign agriculture workers
Agricultural employers who anticipate a shortage of domestic workers and plan to bring nonimmigrant foreign workers to the U.S. for temporary or seasonal agricultural labor must be certified to do so through the H-2A temporary agricultural program.
While much of the process involves the employer working directly with federal agencies ̶ see links below to learn about those ̶ the Idaho Department of Labor assists by reviewing the application, conducting housing inspections and helping the employer recruit qualified domestic workers.
H-2A employer manuals,
posters and forms
- U.S. Department of Labor Foreign Labor
- Foreign Labor Certification Forms
- H2A Program
- Employer Guide to H2A
SeasonalJobs.dol.gov
Idaho Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR)
$1,986.76
H2-A and H2-B application process questions
Crystal Lowther
Idaho Department of Labor
317 W. Main St.
Boise Idaho 83735
(208) 332-3570 ext. 4325
Fax (208) 947-0049
Crystal.Lowther@labor.idaho.gov
H2-A survey questions
Les Smart
Idaho Department of Labor
317 W. Main St.
Boise, ID 83735
(208) 332-3570 ext. 3200
Les.Smart@labor.idaho.gov