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
This petition was approved.
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 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. Statewide, employers across all industries filed 11,727 job orders during the same period, with an approval rate of 98.3%.
The Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting industry led the H-2A filings in Michigan during 2024, with 11,680 petitions (99.6% of all submissions), and an approval rate of 98.3%. Meanwhile, the Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services industry was the second largest contributor, filing 24 petitions (0.2% of the total), with an approval rate of 100%.
Compared to 2023, the Transportation and Warehousing sector in the state saw slightly 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 | 11,680 | 99.6% | 98.3% | 1.7% |
| 2 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 24 | 0.2% | 100% | 0% |
| 3 | Wholesale Trade | 7 | <0.1% | 100% | 0% |
| 4 | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 5 | <0.1% | 100% | 0% |
| 4 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 5 | <0.1% | 100% | 0% |
| 6 | Manufacturing | 3 | <0.1% | 100% | 0% |
| 7 | Transportation and Warehousing | 1 | <0.1% | 100% | 0% |
| Company Name | Industries | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manzana, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2,663 | 99.9% | 0.1% |
| Agrico Labor, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1,082 | 100% | 0% |
| Botello Harvesting, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 778 | 100% | 0% |
| Arlene Resource Management, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 682 | 99.7% | 0.3% |
| D Perez Harvesting, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 455 | 100% | 0% |
| Dutchman Tree Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 357 | 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% |
| Family Fresh Harvesting, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 236 | 100% | 0% |
| Leitz Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 223 | 100% | 0% |
| New Eras American Asparagus Packing, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 212 | 9.4% | 90.6% |
| Farm 13, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 202 | 100% | 0% |
| Federico Perez | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 200 | 100% | 0% |
| Prime Work Force, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 197 | 100% | 0% |
| Van Dyk Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 172 | 100% | 0% |
| Russell Costanza Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 152 | 100% | 0% |
| Ridgeview Orchards, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 148 | 100% | 0% |
| Joe Rasch Orchards, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 116 | 100% | 0% |
| Maroa Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 105 | 100% | 0% |
| Southern Agent Solutions 3, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 94 | 100% | 0% |
| Schilling Family Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 88 | 100% | 0% |
| B Monrroy, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 85 | 100% | 0% |
| Todd Greiner Farms Packing, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 83 | 100% | 0% |
| Valley Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 74 | 100% | 0% |
| Sunnybrooke Growers | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 69 | 100% | 0% |
| Berry Crew, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 68 | 100% | 0% |
| N J Fox and Sons, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 62 | 100% | 0% |
| Horkey Brother Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 56 | 100% | 0% |
| Pepperco USA, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 55 | 100% | 0% |
| Stahl Harvest Company, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 54 | 100% | 0% |
| Spring Meadow Nursery, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 54 | 100% | 0% |
| Harner Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 52 | 100% | 0% |
| John a ALT JR | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 50 | 100% | 0% |
| Hilda Santiago Gomez | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 50 | 100% | 0% |
| Gary F Bartley | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 50 | 100% | 0% |
| Cherry Ke, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 49 | 100% | 0% |
| New Era S American Apple, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 48 | 100% | 0% |
| Amos Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 43 | 100% | 0% |
| Bebow Transport, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 40 | 100% | 0% |
| Theuts Flower Barn | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 40 | 100% | 0% |
| Diaz Agricultural Services, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 39 | 100% | 0% |
| New Leaf Orchards, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 38 | 100% | 0% |
| Rajzer Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 37 | 100% | 0% |
| Snappy Apple Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 37 | 100% | 0% |
| Prolific Enterprises, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 35 | 100% | 0% |
| Dusseau Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 34 | 100% | 0% |
| Gavin Orchards, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 34 | 100% | 0% |
| MJS Harvesting, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 32 | 100% | 0% |
| Ray Wiegands Nursery, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 32 | 100% | 0% |
| Willbrandt Enterprises, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 31 | 100% | 0% |
| Rudich Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 31 | 100% | 0% |
| Raker Robertas Young Plants | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 30 | 100% | 0% |
| Schwartzs Greenhouse | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 30 | 100% | 0% |
| Lewis Orchards, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 29 | 100% | 0% |
| Heater Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 28 | 100% | 0% |
| Martinez Trimming and Hand Harvest | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 28 | 100% | 0% |
| Tim Campbell Farm, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 27 | 100% | 0% |
| Blakes Orchard, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 26 | 100% | 0% |
| Kietzer Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 26 | 100% | 0% |
| Purpose Point Harvesting, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 26 | 100% | 0% |
| Thome Orchards, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 26 | 100% | 0% |
| Interwater Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 25 | 100% | 0% |
| Molter Produce, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 24 | 100% | 0% |
| King Orchards, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 24 | 100% | 0% |
| Grekowicz Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 24 | 100% | 0% |
| Frens Orchards, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 24 | 100% | 0% |
| Hart Farm, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 24 | 100% | 0% |
| K J Harvesting, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 24 | 100% | 0% |
| Agrivine, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 23 | 100% | 0% |
| Evans Brothers Fruit Company | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 23 | 100% | 0% |
| Pinter Greenhouse, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 23 | 100% | 0% |
| Henry Orchards, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 22 | 100% | 0% |
| Silva and Sons Landscaping, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 22 | 100% | 0% |
| Riveridge Land Company, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 22 | 100% | 0% |
| Redpath Orchards | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 22 | 100% | 0% |
| Windy Ridge Orchards, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 22 | 100% | 0% |
| Black Gold Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 22 | 100% | 0% |
| Midwest Fruit Processing Association | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 21 | 100% | 0% |
| Wagenmaker Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 20 | 100% | 0% |
| Harbor Hill Fruit Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 20 | 100% | 0% |
| Midwest Tree Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 20 | 100% | 0% |
| Ruhlig Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 20 | 100% | 0% |
| Juan Jesus Moreno | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 20 | 100% | 0% |
| Banotai Greenhouse | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 19 | 100% | 0% |
| EDS Schoenborn Orchards | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 19 | 100% | 0% |
| 4 Agent Labor Services, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 19 | 100% | 0% |
| Bay Shore Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 18 | 100% | 0% |
| PG Orchards, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 18 | 100% | 0% |
| Van Loon Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 18 | 100% | 0% |
| Lentz Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 18 | 100% | 0% |
| Hawkeye Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting, Transportation and Warehousing | 17 | 100% | 0% |
| Emmett Schoenborn, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 16 | 100% | 0% |
| SVF, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 15 | 100% | 0% |
| Homestead Orchards, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 15 | 100% | 0% |
| Royal Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 15 | 100% | 0% |
| 5 H Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 14 | 100% | 0% |
| Northern Farm Market, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 14 | 100% | 0% |
| Meadowbrook Acres of South Central Florida | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 14 | 100% | 0% |
| Fineline Landscape Construction and Maintenance | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 14 | 100% | 0% |
| Azulera Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 14 | 100% | 0% |
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