Ted H. Kim, Associate Director Refugee, Asylum and International Operations Directorate for USCIS | https://www.naco.org/
Ted H. Kim, Associate Director Refugee, Asylum and International Operations Directorate for USCIS | https://www.naco.org/
This represents an approval rate of 98.8%, which is on par with 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 SC Nebraska News publication area during 2024, filing a total of 417 petitions (98.6% of all submissions) and receiving 412 approvals, resulting in an approval rate of 98.8%. The Construction industry followed, with six petitions (1.4% of all submissions) and an approval rate of 100%.
The local employers with most temporary visa requests during 2024 included Briggs Harvesting, LLC, which filed 49 petitions with an approval rate of 100%, Roeder Land and Cattle Company with 37 petitions and an approval rate of 100%, and Briggs Brothers Farms, which filed 27 petitions with an approval rate of 100%.
Compared to 2023, SC Nebraska News publication area saw a 1.4% 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 | 417 | 98.6% | 98.8% | 1.2% |
| 2 | Construction | 6 | 1.4% | 100% | 0% |
| Company Name | Industry | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Briggs Harvesting, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 49 | 100% | 0% |
| Roeder Land and Cattle Company | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 37 | 100% | 0% |
| Briggs Brothers Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 27 | 100% | 0% |
| Civil Services Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 22 | 100% | 0% |
| Gary Robison | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 20 | 100% | 0% |
| Troy Kuck Silage Harvesting, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 20 | 100% | 0% |
| Olson Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 18 | 100% | 0% |
| Jessen Unlimited | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 18 | 88.9% | 11.1% |
| KTO, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 18 | 100% | 0% |
| M and L Land and Cattle, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 16 | 81.3% | 18.8% |
| Aec and Sons Trucking, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 15 | 100% | 0% |
| Imperial Beef, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 15 | 100% | 0% |
| Sastsc Agent, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| BLITS | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| DCN Farms JV | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Downey Irrigation, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Tanner Lemon | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| JKA Cattle, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Maaske, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Lauer Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Jackson Concrete, L L C | Construction | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Messersmith Trucking, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| West Blue Pork, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| County Line Feeders | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| J D Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| CHS, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Blase Company, L L C | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| DMB Company, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Kuenning Family Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| K Cattle, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Grant Schutz, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| G Johnson Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Todd Garrelts | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Westerlin Harrington Flying Service | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| J Kristin, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Bee Biz, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Kroeker Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Kerry Maline Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| K Farm | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Bensons Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Flaming Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Bubak Land and Cattle, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| BGS Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| BTL Land, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Dan Kristensen Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Hunt CD Bar, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| TSR, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Down to Earth Spreading, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Grabenlife, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Becker Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Driscoll Farm, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Ross Kurkowski | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
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