Ur Mendoza Jaddou, Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. | https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/organization/leadership/ur-m-jaddou-director-us-citizenship-and-immigration-services
Ur Mendoza Jaddou, Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. | https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/organization/leadership/ur-m-jaddou-director-us-citizenship-and-immigration-services
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 Northeast South Dakota News publication area during 2024, filing a total of 385 petitions (99.7% of all submissions) and receiving 385 approvals, resulting in an approval rate of 100%. The Other Services (except Public Administration) industry followed, with one petition (0.3% of all submissions) and an approval rate of 100%.
The local employers with most temporary visa requests during 2024 included United Development Management Company, LLC, which filed 77 petitions with an approval rate of 100%, JNJ Construction, Inc. with 62 petitions and an approval rate of 100%, and Lake County Dairy, which filed 17 petitions with an approval rate of 100%.
Compared to 2023, Northeast South Dakota News publication area saw a 24.5% 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 | 385 | 99.7% | 100% | 0% |
| 2 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 1 | 0.3% | 100% | 0% |
| Company Name | Industry | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Development Management Company, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 77 | 100% | 0% |
| JNJ Construction, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 62 | 100% | 0% |
| Lake County Dairy | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 17 | 100% | 0% |
| New Horizon Dairy | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 15 | 100% | 0% |
| Chad and Rhonda Wosje | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 13 | 100% | 0% |
| Jeremy Haven | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 13 | 100% | 0% |
| Prairie Ridge Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| Adee Honey Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| Bremmon Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Vermont, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Vermont II, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Adee Honey Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Full Circle Agent | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Marchuk Honey | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Elsen Homestead Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Jacob Zimmerman | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Madison Lawn and Landscape, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Mendel Farms Partnership | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Three M Farms Partnership | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Rhonda Wosje | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Madison Lawn Care and Landscape Nursery, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Craig Dunker | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Holler Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| B and B Harvesting, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Nickeson Harvesting, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Dairy Dozen Milnor | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Steadfast Electric | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Coteau Cattle Company | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Racota Valley Ranch Partnership | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Whetstone Valley Honey, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Grabow Livestock, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Travis Rinas | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| DRY Run Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Miles Harvesting, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Steve N Simon Ranch Hand | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Sjovall Feedyard, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Schley Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Farmers Union | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Ryan Hammer | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Alex Mitchell | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Lawrence Malpert | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| R and M Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Bruce Prins | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Raymond Bremmon | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Jordan Deutsch | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Helicopter Flight Service, LLC | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Eastend Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Stapleton Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
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