Jennifer B. Higgins, Deputy Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services | https://medium.com/the-u-s-digital-service/meet-the-dhs-digital-service-champions-may-2018-caee7dade2b
Jennifer B. Higgins, Deputy Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services | https://medium.com/the-u-s-digital-service/meet-the-dhs-digital-service-champions-may-2018-caee7dade2b
This represents an approval rate of 97.3%, which is lower than the nationwide average.
That year, the average approval rate for H-2A petitions across the U.S. stood at 98.8%, slightly higher than 2023's 98.4%.
Employers are classified under industries based on their reported operations and may be involved in multiple industries.
The H-2A visa program allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers for temporary or seasonal agricultural jobs when enough domestic workers are unavailable. Employers must demonstrate a short-term need and that hiring foreign workers will not negatively affect U.S. workers' wages or working conditions. These jobs must first be offered to U.S. workers, and both domestic and H-2A workers must receive at least the highest of the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) or other wage benchmarks.
The Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting industry led the H-2A petition approvals in the Polk Times publication area during 2024, filing a total of 15,915 petitions (99.8% of all submissions) and receiving 15,492 approvals, resulting in an approval rate of 97.3%. The Construction industry followed, with 14 petitions (0.1% of all submissions) and an approval rate of 100%.
The local employers with most temporary visa requests during 2024 included Agent Labor, LLC, which filed 3,118 petitions with an approval rate of 100%, Gracia and Sons, LLC with 1,991 petitions and an approval rate of 97.3%, and Statewide Harvesting and Hauling, LLC, which filed 1,171 petitions with an approval rate of 100%.
Compared to 2023, Polk Times publication area saw a 21.1% decrease in the number of seasonal agricultural visas during 2024.
The United States admits around 1 million legal immigrants annually, most of whom receive permanent residence (green cards) through family sponsorship or employment-based visas. In 2023, about 1.2 million immigrants were granted green cards, a return to pre-pandemic levels. Temporary visa programs, such as the H-1B for highly skilled workers and H-2A for seasonal agricultural workers, also play a critical role in filling workforce needs.
Public opinion on immigration varies, with 46% of Americans favoring maintaining current legal immigration levels, according to a 2024 Pew Research Center survey. Additionally, 42% believe that highly skilled workers, such as scientists, doctors, and programmers, should be prioritized for legal immigration, compared to 25% who prioritize workers filling labor shortages and 19% who emphasize family sponsorship. Despite this, family sponsorship remains the most common path to permanent residency, accounting for 63% of green cards issued in 2023.
Due to manual data entry and the use of paper forms by applicants or petitioners, occasional discrepancies in employer names, tax IDs, locations, or other details may be found in the H-2A Employer Data Hub provided by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which is the data used in this article. Despite these potential issues, USCIS works to ensure accuracy.
| Rank | Industry | Total Petitions | % of All Submissions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 15,915 | 99.8% | 97.3% | 2.7% |
| 2 | Construction | 14 | 0.1% | 100% | 0% |
| 3 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 4 | <0.1% | 100% | 0% |
| 3 | Transportation and Warehousing | 4 | <0.1% | 100% | 0% |
| 5 | Wholesale Trade | 1 | <0.1% | 100% | 0% |
| Company Name | Industries | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agent Labor, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3,118 | 100% | 0% |
| Gracia and Sons, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1,991 | 97.3% | 2.7% |
| Statewide Harvesting and Hauling, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1,171 | 100% | 0% |
| Dunson Harvesting, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1,027 | 100% | 0% |
| 5 G Harvesting, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 909 | 100% | 0% |
| Alta Citrus, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 886 | 100% | 0% |
| Triple M Fruit Company, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 627 | 100% | 0% |
| Temp Labor, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 595 | 100% | 0% |
| Premier Packing, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 588 | 100% | 0% |
| Overlook Harvesting Company, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 514 | 58.2% | 41.8% |
| Florida Orange Gold, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 490 | 100% | 0% |
| J Hernandez Harvesting, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 426 | 100% | 0% |
| Araona Labor Logistics, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 426 | 100% | 0% |
| Chino Harvesting, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 398 | 100% | 0% |
| Marin J, Corp. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 359 | 100% | 0% |
| Daniel Harvesting, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 321 | 100% | 0% |
| Simon Sanchez Family Harvesting | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 278 | 100% | 0% |
| Overlook Harvesting Michigan, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 272 | 100% | 0% |
| Reyna Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 220 | 86.4% | 13.6% |
| P Marin Harvesting, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 202 | 100% | 0% |
| Melon Princel Petition 2, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 181 | 58.6% | 41.4% |
| Pete Cruz Harvesting, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 165 | 100% | 0% |
| Florida Agent, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 160 | 100% | 0% |
| Fernando Meza Harvesting, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 137 | 100% | 0% |
| Reyna Harvesting, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 105 | 52.4% | 47.6% |
| Pedro Cruz Harvesting, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 94 | 100% | 0% |
| Mondragon Harvesting, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 83 | 100% | 0% |
| Blue Star Harvesting, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 75 | 100% | 0% |
| Sandoval Wholesale, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 46 | 100% | 0% |
| Lake Buffum Blueberry Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 30 | 100% | 0% |
| Chris Waldner and Son S Construction | Construction | 14 | 100% | 0% |
| Sod Busters, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Landscape Garden Centers | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Andy Miksa Honey Farm, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Hunt Bros Service, Inc. | Transportation and Warehousing | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Perritt Farms Partnership | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Mize Farm Partnership | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting, Wholesale Trade | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Rod Cattle, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Raney Ranch Worx, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Hartco Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
Alerts Sign-up