Ted H. Kim, Associate Director Refugee, Asylum and International Operations Directorate for USCIS | https://www.naco.org/
Ted H. Kim, Associate Director Refugee, Asylum and International Operations Directorate for USCIS | https://www.naco.org/
This represents an approval rate of 99.3%, 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 WC Minnesota News publication area during 2024, filing a total of 967 petitions (96.6% of all submissions) and receiving 960 approvals, resulting in an approval rate of 99.3%. The Other Services (except Public Administration) industry followed, with 14 petitions (1.4% of all submissions) and an approval rate of 100%.
The local employers with most temporary visa requests during 2024 included Riverview, LLP, which filed 151 petitions with an approval rate of 100%, Raguse Family Partnership with 38 petitions and an approval rate of 100%, and Bergens Nursery, which filed 31 petitions with an approval rate of 100%.
Compared to 2023, WC Minnesota News publication area saw a 9% 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 | 967 | 96.6% | 99.3% | 0.7% |
| 2 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 14 | 1.4% | 100% | 0% |
| 3 | Wholesale Trade | 11 | 1.1% | 100% | 0% |
| 4 | Construction | 5 | 0.5% | 100% | 0% |
| 5 | Manufacturing | 3 | 0.3% | 100% | 0% |
| Company Name | Industries | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverview, LLP | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 151 | 100% | 0% |
| Raguse Family Partnership | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 38 | 100% | 0% |
| Bergens Nursery | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 31 | 100% | 0% |
| Schaefer Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 28 | 96.4% | 3.6% |
| Kandi Produce, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 22 | 100% | 0% |
| Reece Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 22 | 100% | 0% |
| Rinke Custom Harvesting, LLP | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 22 | 100% | 0% |
| Bergens Greenhouses | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 22 | 100% | 0% |
| Hilltop Swine, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 21 | 100% | 0% |
| Fresha, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 18 | 100% | 0% |
| JL Coleman Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 15 | 100% | 0% |
| Nelson Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 14 | 64.3% | 35.7% |
| Cider Hill Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 13 | 100% | 0% |
| Endless Acres Holding, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| Thronson Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| Matt Holien | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| D and H Field Services, Inc. | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| Mccann Potato Company | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Exploration Drilling, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Alan Collette Farming Association | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Longtin Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Dakota Valley Potato Company | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Minn Kota Agent Products | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting, Wholesale Trade | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| C R Koehl and Sons, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Oak Ridge Terminal, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Spear Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Don Yaggie Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Walsh Farm, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Doubletree Farm, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| J and H Harvesting, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| John Miller Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Ideal Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| DJ Coleman Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting, Manufacturing | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Schmitz Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Progressive Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| JW Scott Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Paul Suda Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Capp Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Blairs Bees and Honey, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Richard Elbert | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Bonanza Bean, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Andrew P Merron | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Spanier Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Field Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| John F Desautel Farming Company | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Dan S Honey Company | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Wayne Lessard Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Nbbo Farming | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Forest River Farms Partnership | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 5 | 80% | 20% |
| Sorum Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| RM Steel, LLC | Construction | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Dean Sternhagen Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Darrell F Entzminger and Sons | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| BLTT Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Friederichs Seed, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Gasper Trucking, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Lake Agassiz Bean, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Brian Dettler Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Handy Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| P and K Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Loyland Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Takco, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Peatland Reds, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Ratzlaff Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Skyview Dairy | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Tailfeather Ranch, LLP | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Nuest Partnership | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Riverdale Operations | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Spring Valley Farms, LLP | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Farmco Supply Company, LLP | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Foslien Custom Harvesting, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Reichmann Land and Cattle | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Bear Claw Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Blue Diamond Farming Company | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Silo Farming Partners | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Shane Eidsness | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Fossen Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| LB Pork, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Budke Bees | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| R and R Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Tveit Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Unruh Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Lakefield Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Minto Agent Center, LLC | Wholesale Trade | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Iverson Cattle | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Jared Peterka | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Jarvis Stein | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Diekmann Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Kameron and Evan Collette Farm Partnership, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Peterson Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Randy Johnk Farm Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Ovind Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Overby Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Alex Howatt Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Alex Yaggie | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Allen Yaggie Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Lucas Spitzer | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Mike Olson Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Swanson Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Mcilonie Family Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Pork Chop Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Ken Iversen Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Schumacher and Sons | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Kram Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Rasmussen Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Mcmahon Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Terry Miller | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Kyle Nygaard | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Rodney Haraseth | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| TLB Air, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Mike and Terri Gorder Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Mark Dickson Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Ottem Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Nelson Pumpkin Patch, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Triple D Cattle, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Seyer Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Andahl Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 3 J S Partnership | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Effertz Ez Ranch | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| CC Borgen, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| SFI, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Scott Howatt Grain Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Rafferty Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Heidi and Raedell Braaten | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Foens Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Douglas Winzenburg | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Diamond J Custom Farming, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Brushvale Grain, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Meixel Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Joe Wagner | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Mertec, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Star Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Eric Wilson | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Big Stone Agent Service | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Cynthia and Robert Toelle | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Estate Uw Lanny P Marlenee Test Trust | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Endreson Custom Services, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| G and B Thompson Partnership | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Christopher Griffin | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Gilbertson Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Hunt Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| JBT Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Charles Stein | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Brandon and Brooke Downs PTR | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Becker Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Arlin Kaul Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Justin Downs | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Hoffman Irrigation | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Dwayne Erickson | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Tyler Bodnar Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| TND Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Carlson Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Estenson Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Leininger Ranch | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Michael Stamer Farms General Partnership | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Bradow Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Spanier Cattle, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Daniel Sletten Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Erickson Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| D and M Yutrzenka JV | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Mattis Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| MCF Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| MDF, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Olander Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Pribyl Ranch, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Chris Gradin | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Ross Engraf Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Andy and Nancy Downs PTR | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Open Box Rafter Ranch | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
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