Tammy Meckley, Associate Director, Immigration Records and Identity Services Directorate for USCIS | https://www.dhswatchlist.com/
Tammy Meckley, Associate Director, Immigration Records and Identity Services Directorate for USCIS | https://www.dhswatchlist.com/
This represents an approval rate of 100%, 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 St. Joe-Benton Harbor News publication area during 2024, filing a total of 2,180 petitions (99.4% of all submissions) and receiving 2,180 approvals, resulting in an approval rate of 100%. The Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation industry followed, with five petitions (0.2% of all submissions) and an approval rate of 100%.
The local employers with most temporary visa requests during 2024 included D Perez Harvesting, LLC, which filed 455 petitions with an approval rate of 100%, Walther Farms MI, LLC with 278 petitions and an approval rate of 100%, and A and B Costanza Farms, LLC, which filed 257 petitions with an approval rate of 100%.
Compared to 2023, St. Joe-Benton Harbor News publication area saw a 7.3% 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 | 2,180 | 99.4% | 100% | 0% |
| 2 | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 5 | 0.2% | 100% | 0% |
| 3 | Wholesale Trade | 4 | 0.2% | 100% | 0% |
| 4 | Manufacturing | 3 | 0.1% | 100% | 0% |
| 5 | Transportation and Warehousing | 1 | <0.1% | 100% | 0% |
| Company Name | Industries | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D Perez Harvesting, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 455 | 100% | 0% |
| Walther Farms MI, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 278 | 100% | 0% |
| A and B Costanza Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 257 | 100% | 0% |
| Leitz Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 223 | 100% | 0% |
| Farm 13, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 202 | 100% | 0% |
| Russell Costanza Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 152 | 100% | 0% |
| Schilling Family Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 88 | 100% | 0% |
| Sunnybrooke Growers | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 69 | 100% | 0% |
| Berry Crew, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 68 | 100% | 0% |
| Harner Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 52 | 100% | 0% |
| Gary F Bartley | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 50 | 100% | 0% |
| Rajzer Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 37 | 100% | 0% |
| MJS Harvesting, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 32 | 100% | 0% |
| Willbrandt Enterprises, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 31 | 100% | 0% |
| Heater Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 28 | 100% | 0% |
| Kietzer Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 26 | 100% | 0% |
| Molter Produce, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 24 | 100% | 0% |
| Hawkeye Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting, Transportation and Warehousing | 17 | 100% | 0% |
| Azulera Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 14 | 100% | 0% |
| Fred Koenigshof | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| St. Joe Valley Apiaries | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Pace Family Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Rolling Rock Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Grabemeyer Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| County Line Nurseries, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Jeff Scherer Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Bo Mar Enterprises, Inc. | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Granor Farms, LLC | Wholesale Trade | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Walther Farms FL, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Schultz Fruitridge Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Frillman Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Stephen C Holden | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Petro Farms | Manufacturing | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Andrew a Barbott | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Brumfield Angus Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Drobny Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Kuehnle Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
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