Ur Mendoza Jaddou, Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (left) and Jennifer B. Higgins, Deputy Director. | https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/organization/leadership
Ur Mendoza Jaddou, Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (left) and Jennifer B. Higgins, Deputy Director. | https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/organization/leadership
This represents an approval rate of 84.6%, which is lower 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 East Central Iowa News publication area during 2024, filing a total of 947 petitions (99.5% of all submissions) and receiving 800 approvals, resulting in an approval rate of 84.5%. The Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services industry followed, with five petitions (0.5% of all submissions) and an approval rate of 100%.
The local employers with most temporary visa requests during 2024 included Alewelt Concrete, Inc., which filed 463 petitions with an approval rate of 71.7%, Rodriguez Labor, LLC with 100 petitions and an approval rate of 100%, and Southern Builders, LLC, which filed 76 petitions with an approval rate of 78.9%.
Compared to 2023, East Central Iowa News publication area saw a 48.7% 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 | 947 | 99.5% | 84.5% | 15.5% |
| 2 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 5 | 0.5% | 100% | 0% |
| Company Name | Industry | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alewelt Concrete, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 463 | 71.7% | 28.3% |
| Rodriguez Labor, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 100 | 100% | 0% |
| Southern Builders, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 76 | 78.9% | 21.1% |
| Flores Construction, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 64 | 100% | 0% |
| Iowa Select Farms, LLLP | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 43 | 100% | 0% |
| Drew Brandt Construction, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 38 | 100% | 0% |
| Summit Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 30 | 100% | 0% |
| 4L Construction, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 20 | 100% | 0% |
| Hand Nutrients Management, L L C | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| Cy Ment Construction, Corp. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| ESW Construction, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Ram Nutrient Applications, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Injectsom, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| I M Possible Productions, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Cedar Oak Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| T and J Grout, LLC | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Iowa River Agent, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Hillcreek Livestock Company | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Jordahl Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Midwest Custom Agent Aviation, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| WRF Agent Services, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Flores Construction | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Janes Farmland, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Roger Howe | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Phyllis B Steenhoek | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Van Kooten Farms Manure Pumping, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Seaton Flying Services, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Van Ko Chopping, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Marshall Ridge Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Vierkandt Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Cedar Redworks, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Jaeger Custom Hauling, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| High Ridge Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
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