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
Of these, 2,558 were approved (99.6%), while nine were denied (0.4%).
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.
For comparison, the average approval rate for H-2A petitions across the United States in 2024 stood at 98.8%, slightly higher than the 98.4% recorded in 2023.
The Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting industry led the H-2A filings in North Dakota during 2024, with 2,529 petitions (98.5% of all submissions), and an approval rate of 99.6%. Meanwhile, the Wholesale Trade industry was the second largest contributor, filing 20 petitions (0.8% of the total), with an approval rate of 100%.
The state employers with the most temporary agricultural visa requests during 2024 included United Agronomy, LLC, which filed 39 petitions with an approval rate of 100%, and Hoverson Farms with 38 petitions and an approval rate of 100%.
Compared to 2023, the state saw a 14.8% increase in the number of H-2A petitions filed 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 | 2,529 | 98.5% | 99.6% | 0.4% |
| 2 | Wholesale Trade | 20 | 0.8% | 100% | 0% |
| 3 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 15 | 0.6% | 100% | 0% |
| 4 | Transportation and Warehousing | 3 | 0.1% | 100% | 0% |
| Company Name | Industry | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Agronomy, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 39 | 100% | 0% |
| Hoverson Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 38 | 100% | 0% |
| Brian Vculek Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 37 | 100% | 0% |
| Tracy Hoherz Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 37 | 100% | 0% |
| Sea View Farm, LLP | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 32 | 100% | 0% |
| Noyes Apiaries, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 32 | 100% | 0% |
| Four Star Agent | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 31 | 100% | 0% |
| CHS, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 30 | 100% | 0% |
| Dean Gerving Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 29 | 100% | 0% |
| Glenn Gerving | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 24 | 100% | 0% |
| Galen Scheresky Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 24 | 100% | 0% |
| Weinlaeder Seed Company | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 23 | 100% | 0% |
| Donald Heuchert Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 22 | 100% | 0% |
| Whole Seed Farm, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 20 | 100% | 0% |
| GPH Enterprises, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 19 | 100% | 0% |
| Heimbuch Potatoes, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 18 | 100% | 0% |
| KTM Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 17 | 100% | 0% |
| Bronson Custom Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 16 | 100% | 0% |
| Hager Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 15 | 100% | 0% |
| Absolute Honey, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 15 | 100% | 0% |
| Morlock Honey Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 15 | 100% | 0% |
| North Star Cooperation | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 14 | 100% | 0% |
| Sproule Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 14 | 100% | 0% |
| Campbell Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 14 | 100% | 0% |
| Ryan Weinlaeder Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 14 | 100% | 0% |
| David Glinz Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 14 | 85.7% | 14.3% |
| Brown Harvesting, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 13 | 100% | 0% |
| Dawson Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 13 | 100% | 0% |
| Mcdonald Farms and Organics, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| Lagodinski Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| Weckerly Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| Associated Potato Growers, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| Jorde Certified Seed, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| Troy and Mark Demars III, LLLP | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| MV Collette Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| Brandon Hanson Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Crystal Chippers | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Randy S Barnyard Service | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Skaurud Grain Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Peter Shockman | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Price Cattle Ranch, LLP | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Wilwand Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Mike Erfle Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Arthur Companies, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Lundquist Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Fitzsimonds Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Chris Tuchscherer | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Missouri River Feeders, LLP | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Hoople Farmers Grain | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Clarence Archibald | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| LKT Cattle Company | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Dairy Dozen Milnor | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Hart Land and Cattle | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Danzig Honey Company | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Trigen Agent Partnership | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Grand River Honey Company, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| T2 Honey Company, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Chad and Jennifer Olson | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Summit Farms Partnership | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Travis and Tara Lambourn | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Eaton Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Celley Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Molstad Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Square Butte Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| T and G Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Allied Energy, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Kelly Hall and Patrick Hall | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Daniel Miller Farm Partnership | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Shane Olson | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Tim Ostenrude | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Wade Billadeau Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Botno Bee Company, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Nickolaus Heuchert | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Education Brown Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Melin Grain and Livestock Farm, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Stuart Nielsen Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| WHO S Your Honey | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Mark and Tammy Meyer | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Duchsherer Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Perkins Honey Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Horizon Resources | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Engstrom Bean and Seed | Wholesale Trade | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Mill Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Guthmiller Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Rudnik Trucking | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Wisness Ranch | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Brosnan Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Steve Erfle Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Dakota Midland Grain, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Hexagon Farm, LLP | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Eric Ehlis | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Meier Harvesting | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Stellon Farms Beets | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Hiatt Honey ND, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Next2nature Landscape Company | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Jeff Mertz Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Farmers Union Oil Company Beulah | Wholesale Trade | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Kinzler Rocking K Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Thompson Apiaries | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| R Farm, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 6 | 100% | 0% |
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