During 2024, employers located in the IE Commercial News publication area submitted a total of 724 H-2A visa petitions, according to data provided by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services via the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services via the H-2A Employer Data Hub.
Out of these submissions, 720 petitions were approved, representing a 99.4% approval rate, while four petitions, or 0.6%, were denied.
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.
Nationally, the average approval rate for H-2A petitions in 2024 was 98.8%, which is a slight increase from the 98.4% approval rate recorded in 2023.
The local employers with the most temporary agricultural visa requests during 2024 included Quality Produce, LLC, which filed 345 petitions with an approval rate of 100%, and Mountain Avenue Bees, Inc. with 60 petitions and an approval rate of 100%.
Among local employers, Quality Produce LLC led with 345 H-2A petitions submitted and achieved a 100% approval rate, followed by Mountain Avenue Bees Inc., which filed 60 petitions and also maintained a 100% approval rate.
The IE Commercial News publication area experienced a 48.8% rise in H-2A petition filings in 2024 compared to the previous year.
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 | 724 | 100% | 99.4% | 0.6% |
| Company Name | Industry | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Produce, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 345 | 100% | 0% |
| Mountain Avenue Bees, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 60 | 100% | 0% |
| MCR FLC, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 59 | 100% | 0% |
| Altman Specialty Plants CA Lake Mathews, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 48 | 100% | 0% |
| Durling Nursery, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 40 | 100% | 0% |
| West Coast Turf Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 36 | 100% | 0% |
| N and J Harvesting, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 34 | 100% | 0% |
| Premier Packing of California, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 30 | 100% | 0% |
| Buoye Honey Company, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| BWB Honey Company | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| Indacochea Sheep Ranch | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 10 | 90% | 10% |
| Soffel Honey Company, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Old Grove Orange, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 6 | 50% | 50% |
| Mcmillan Farm Management | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| A G Sod Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Soffel Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Montana Fresh Cherries, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Marquette Apiaries, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Ac Bee S Pollination, Corp. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Valarie Figueroa | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Horta Grow Star 3, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Bruno Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Smelfour Enterprises, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
Information in this story was obtained from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The source data can be found here.
