In 2024, all seven H-2A petitions submitted by an employer classified under the Construction industry based in the NE Valley Times publication area were approved, according to data provided by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services via H-2A Employer Data Hub. They were filed by Heeringa Concrete, LLC, an employer based in the publication area.
This represents an approval rate of 100%, which is higher than the nationwide average.
In 2024, 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.
Compared to 2023, NE Valley Times publication area saw an 87% 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 | 638 | 85.4% | 100% | 0% |
| 2 | Wholesale Trade | 67 | 9% | 100% | 0% |
| 3 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 22 | 2.9% | 100% | 0% |
| 4 | Manufacturing | 13 | 1.7% | 100% | 0% |
| 5 | Construction | 7 | 0.9% | 100% | 0% |
| Company Name | Industry | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farm Labor Contractor, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 150 | 100% | 0% |
| Moon Valley Nursery, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 106 | 100% | 0% |
| Moon Valley Nursery Riverside, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 76 | 100% | 0% |
| Fondomonte California, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 71 | 100% | 0% |
| Fondomonte Arizona, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 52 | 100% | 0% |
| V and P Nurseries, Inc. | Wholesale Trade | 45 | 100% | 0% |
| Moon Mountain Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 30 | 100% | 0% |
| Moon Valley Nursery of Vegas Retail, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 25 | 100% | 0% |
| Evergreen Turf, Inc. | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 22 | 100% | 0% |
| Glen Flora Farm Holding Wharton, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 21 | 100% | 0% |
| Kenly Farms, Inc. | Wholesale Trade | 20 | 100% | 0% |
| Moon Valley Nursery of CA, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 17 | 100% | 0% |
| Moon Valley Farms of Arizona Tucson, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 15 | 100% | 0% |
| Moon Valley Nursery of Tennessee Retail – Knoxville, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 15 | 100% | 0% |
| Canterbury Enterprises, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 14 | 100% | 0% |
| Mostvino, LLC | Manufacturing | 13 | 100% | 0% |
| Moon Valley Nursery of Florida Riviers Beach, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Central Arizona Farming, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Moon Valley Nursery of Georgia Peachtree City, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Heeringa Concrete, LLC | Construction | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Gordon Quarter Horses, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Borges Reining Horses, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Cy Ranchs, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Black Mountain Nursery, Inc. | Wholesale Trade | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Rancho Paraiso, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Silver Spurs Equine Academy, LLC | 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.
