- Afrikaners working in the US on the H-2A visa programme issued an emotional video plea to Donald Trump
- Social media creator Jacques "Faith" van Tonder recorded the video near the Statue of Liberty alongside a fellow temporary farm worker
- The workers requested faster visa processing, permanent work permits, and green cards following prolonged administrative delays
Source: Facebook
Two Afrikaner men employed under the H-2A seasonal visa programme in the United States have issued an emotional video appeal directly to US President Donald Trump. In a video recorded at night, the South African H-2A refugee workers highlighted the bureaucratic hurdles facing seasonal visa holders. The video, uploaded to the Facebook account Jacques Faith van Tonder on 14 October 2026, shows them expressing gratitude for legal employment opportunities while calling on the US administration to fix long-standing visa processing backlogs.
Essential farm workers urge faster visa pathways and green card relief
One of the men detailed his personal struggle after working on American farms for up to a decade while waiting five to six years for permanent residency approval. The worker explained that annual consulate renewals and unexpected visa rejections in South Africa have kept him separated from his wife and children for eight years. To address these obstacles, the workers asked US leadership to streamline legal immigration channels, enabling quicker processing times for H-2A agricultural and H-2B seasonal visas.
They urged the government to establish faster pathways to permanent green cards for experienced workers and reduce annual consular re-application hurdles that lead to financial loss and family separations. The man emphasised that temporary farm workers contribute directly to the local agricultural economy, understand American culture, and wish to continue contributing to the nation legally.
Watch the H-2A farmers' plea in the Facebook reel below:
Mzansi reacts to the Afrikaner men's plea
Following the release of the video appeal, social media users shared supportive responses and personal migration experiences online:
@Charmaine Backhouse said:
"Long live America! Wish I could take my family and pull out of SA!"
@Estie Cronje commented:
"My mom has been in North Dakota for eight years, and I have been in six years! We are already in our fifth year of waiting for a green card."
@Izak Meyer added:
"Great, ask and you will receive."
@Shirley Smith Wassenaar shared:
"I hope and pray that he will help."
@Bonnie Advertensies wrote:
"Please help them."
3 other articles about H-2A refugee workers
- A South African man, Michael Scheepers, shared a warm message of support to Afrikaner seasonal farm workers currently labouring in the US on the H-2A visa programme.
- A US farm owner revealed that he was struggling to recruit H-2A visa workers—including South Africans—despite offering a weekly salary of R25,000 alongside housing and utility benefits.
- Briefly News reported that an Afrikaner H-2A seasonal visa worker on an American farm shared a video of himself planting crops late into the night until 2:00 AM, showing how dedicated he was to his job.
Source: Briefly News
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