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 was the only industry in the Fargo Standard publication area during 2024.
The local employers with most temporary visa requests during 2024 included Brian Vculek Farm, which filed 37 petitions with an approval rate of 100%, Whole Seed Farm, LLC with 20 petitions and an approval rate of 100%, and Heimbuch Potatoes, LLC, which filed 18 petitions with an approval rate of 100%.
Compared to 2023, Fargo Standard publication area saw a 68.8% increase 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 | 260 | 100% | 100% | 0% |
| Company Name | Industry | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Vculek Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 37 | 100% | 0% |
| Whole Seed Farm, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 20 | 100% | 0% |
| Heimbuch Potatoes, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 18 | 100% | 0% |
| KTM Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 17 | 100% | 0% |
| Hager Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 15 | 100% | 0% |
| Morlock Honey Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 15 | 100% | 0% |
| Brandon Hanson Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Dairy Dozen Milnor | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| CHS, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Summit Farms Partnership | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Daniel Miller Farm Partnership | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Mark and Tammy Meyer | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Mill Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Ruby S Apiaries, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Emeric Alvin Erickson | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Heimbuch Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Antelope Creek Farm Partnership | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Bradley Hoistad | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Paul Ellefson Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| George Gubrud | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Jordahl Cattle Company, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Chad Haugen | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Mutschler Brothers | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Buhr Erickson Farms Partnership | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Jason Bosse Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Blaine Kummer Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Reed Hanson | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Anderson Seed Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Andrew Woytassek | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Jake Erickson | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Qual Dairy, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Koldok Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Kyle Olstad | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| James R Miller | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Triple B Farm, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Kory Leistikow | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Austin Henry Stenvold | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Killoran Partnership | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| David Rasmussen | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Eric Delahoyde | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Jeremy Gleason | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Adam and Donald Davis Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Jacobson Family Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Blain Stevens | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
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