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 99.5%, which is higher 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 NE North Dakota News publication area during 2024, filing a total of 596 petitions (96.1% of all submissions) and receiving 593 approvals, resulting in an approval rate of 99.5%. The Wholesale Trade industry followed, with 14 petitions (2.3% of all submissions) and an approval rate of 100%.
The local employers with most temporary visa requests during 2024 included Hoverson Farms, which filed 38 petitions with an approval rate of 100%.
Compared to 2023, NE North Dakota News publication area saw a 16.8% increase 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 | 596 | 96.1% | 99.5% | 0.5% |
| 2 | Wholesale Trade | 14 | 2.3% | 100% | 0% |
| 3 | Transportation and Warehousing | 3 | 0.5% | 100% | 0% |
| Company Name | Industry | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoverson Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 38 | 100% | 0% |
| North Star Cooperation | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 14 | 100% | 0% |
| Campbell Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 14 | 100% | 0% |
| Brown Harvesting, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 13 | 100% | 0% |
| Mcdonald Farms and Organics, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| MV Collette Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| Troy and Mark Demars III, LLLP | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| Associated Potato Growers, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| Wilwand Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| CHS, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Fitzsimonds Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Molstad Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Kelly Hall and Patrick Hall | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Tim Ostenrude | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Perkins Honey Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Engstrom Bean and Seed | Wholesale Trade | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Rudnik Trucking | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Stellon Farms Beets | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| BJJ Engstrom Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Hamel Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Abraham Hankey | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Dietzler Honey, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Kevin Bryl | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Bernhoft Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Ryan Gustafson | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Kelsey Eidsness | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Nelson Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Tim Smith | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Aric Washburn | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Jason Lovas | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Gary Warner | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Labor Inbound, LLC | 4 | 100% | 0% | |
| Baker Farm, LLP | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Bjornstad Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Northern Tier Seed Company | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Buckmier Lysne Partnership | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Charles E Volk | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Daniel Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Darryl Collettefamily Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Dusty Milner Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Goolsby Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Jon Varnson | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| JR Curry III Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| NF, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Riley Davis Farms Partnership | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Sarel F Du Plessis | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Steven Mcdonald | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 50% | 50% |
| Ross Seed Company | Wholesale Trade | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Dusty Willow Dairy | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Lundeby Evergreens | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Black Gold Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| John Ihry | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Jonathan Nordstrom | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Rutherford Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Agassiz Drain Tile, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Bjorge Brothers Farm, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Braathen Brother Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Bradley R Schneider | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Brekke Aviation, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Howatt Family Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Troy Trevor Romfo | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Tyler Elston | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Patrick Martinson | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Follman Farm JV | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Georgeson Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Goolsby Farm Supply | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Limesand Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Justin Hinkle | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| William Wagner | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Jordan Steinert | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Finley Elevator | Transportation and Warehousing | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Joshua Basaraba Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Keith Ihry | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Forest River Bean Company, Inc. | Wholesale Trade | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Diamond C North Dakota | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Lindseth Brothers | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| James Longtin Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Joel T Smith | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| S and S Grain, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Walhalla Farmers Grain, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Kelly Grotte | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Solheim Farmc, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Sanders Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Richard Woodrow | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Yahna Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Rusty Schultz | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Schindele Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Ben Tufte | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Benjamin John Bring | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Berndt Land Cattle | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Steve Hermanson | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Taylor Aasmundstad Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Tenneson Custom | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Tollefson Brothers | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Endrud Farm, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Labor Inbound | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Brandon Lage | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| T and C Trading, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Lone Prairie Grain, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Muscha Family Agent | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Schmid Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Schiestel Family Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Pankratz Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Michael Brown | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Perry Ostmo | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Pesek Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Rush Valley Agent Services, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Trent Peterson | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Riley James Beck | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Erbstoesser Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Zimmer Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Robert Landeis | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Schumacher Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Jeremy Johnson | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Lee Honey Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Matt Weber Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Craig Schommer | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 3TK Famrs | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| AE Torkelson Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Dakota Honey, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Biby Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Marquart Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Byron J Rohr | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Keith Hofmann | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| H and V Farm Partnership | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Johnson Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| HC Nelson | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Hankey Farm, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Timothy a Kingzett | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Forde Kuchar Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Ellingson Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Timothy O Lyste | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Derek Roppel | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| R and D Gorder Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Stromme Honey, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Brandon Smith Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Chad Lawler | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Jon Haus | 1 | 100% | 0% | |
| R James Engel Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Kelly Hamre | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Jerry R Balsdon | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Dustin Yoney | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Michael Jordan Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| E and M Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Balsdon Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| JS Agent Services | 1 | 100% | 0% | |
| Bob Anderson | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 0% | 100% |
| Bear Creek Flying Service | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Rueger Farms PTR | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Jacob Muhs | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Fritel Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Christenson Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Josh Ostenson | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Kameron Slominski | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Keiser Feedlot, Ltd. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Kemmet Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Kemmet Land and Cattle | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Peterson Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Red Land a Partners | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Acme Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Skjervheim Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Slater Spray Service, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Steve Schneider Bradley Schneider | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
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