El Salvador’s Ministry of Labor reported that more than 14,000 Salvadorans have traveled abroad through temporary employment visa programs negotiated with five countries across Europe and the Americas. The initiative is part of a circular migration strategy that allows workers to gain income overseas while maintaining legal status and returning to the country once their contracts end.
Rolando Castro, Minister of Labor, explained that the temporary work agreements currently include the United States, Canada, Spain, France and Costa Rica. “We estimate, as a dynamic figure, that no fewer than 14,000 people have been placed in these destinations, and all of them under temporary employment,” he said during an interview on Diálogo 21.
El Salvador first launched its labor mobility program with the United States in 2019, later expanding to Canada in 2021. This year marked the first deployment of workers to Spain, France and Costa Rica. Castro confirmed that two additional groups are expected to travel before the end of 2025, and the government plans to open a new visa agreement with a third European nation in early 2026.
The U.S. State Department recently reported that, between October 2024 and May 2025, 6,250 H-2B temporary non-agricultural visas and 331 H-2A agricultural visas were issued to Salvadoran workers. Separately, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs documented at least 2,175 Salvadorans traveling with temporary work visas between June 2023 and March 2024.
Castro acknowledged that “there are some exceptions, very minimal, of people who remain in the host countries,” but noted that most workers follow the program’s guidelines and return when required.
To apply for a temporary employment visa, applicants must be Salvadoran nationals aged 18 to 55, be in good physical health, hold a clean criminal and migration record, and have work experience in their area of employment. The Ministry of Labor manages the programs for Canada, Spain, France, and Costa Rica, while the Ministry of Migration oversees the U.S. program.