The Sconi

Seneca Foods Corporation, an employer classified under the Manufacturing industry based in Wisconsin, submitted 25 H-2A job orders during 2024, according to data provided by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services via the H-2A Employer Data Hub. These were the only petitions filed from that sector during 2024.

All of these petitions submitted were 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 700 job orders during the same period, with an approval rate of 95.6%.

The Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting industry led the H-2A filings in Wisconsin during 2024, with 649 petitions (92.7% of all submissions), and an approval rate of 95.2%. Meanwhile, the Wholesale Trade industry was the second largest contributor, filing 26 petitions (3.7% of the total), with an approval rate of 100%.

Compared to 2023, the Manufacturing sector in the state saw a 68.4% decrease 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	649	92.7%	95.2%	4.8%
2	Wholesale Trade	26	3.7%	100%	0%
3	Manufacturing	25	3.6%	100%	0%

Company Name	Industry	Total Petitions	% Approved	% Denied
Fergusons Morningside Orchard, LLC	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	84	100%	0%
LFI, LLC	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	83	62.7%	37.3%
Breezy Hill Nursery, Inc.	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	48	100%	0%
Harmony Valley Farm, LLC	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	46	100%	0%
Huntsinger Farms, Inc.	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	45	100%	0%
Appleland, LLC	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	44	100%	0%
Robert H Heath Farms, Inc.	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	35	100%	0%
Sacia Orchards	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	31	100%	0%
Bonnie Plants, LLC	Wholesale Trade	26	100%	0%
Seneca Foods Corporation	Manufacturing	25	100%	0%
B and D Dairy Farm Operations, LLC	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	20	100%	0%
Sacia Enterprises, Inc.	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	19	100%	0%
Kirk Laborers Association, LLC	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	13	100%	0%
Oak Ridge Sod Farm, Inc.	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	12	100%	0%
Evergreens Unlimited, LLC	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	12	100%	0%
Evergreen Nursery Company, Inc.	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	11	100%	0%
Debroux Custom Work, LLC	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	9	100%	0%
Comstock Trees and Service, Inc.	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	9	100%	0%
B and B Agri Sales	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	9	100%	0%
H and M Custom Agent Services, LLC	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	9	100%	0%
Olden Produce, LLC	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	8	100%	0%
Johnsons Nursery, LLC	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	8	100%	0%
Arthur Weiler, Inc.	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	8	100%	0%
Eugster S Farm Market, Inc.	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	8	100%	0%
Growmark, Inc.	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	6	100%	0%
Trembling Prairie Farms	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	6	100%	0%
Dan Hanauer S Tree Farms, LLC	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	6	100%	0%
Green Barn Farm Market	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	6	100%	0%
Badger Evergreen Farms, LLC	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	5	100%	0%
Jacob Searls Cranberry Company	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	5	100%	0%
LB Werks, Inc.	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	5	100%	0%
Golden Sands Ranch, Inc.	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	4	100%	0%
Gottschalk Cranberry, Inc.	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	4	100%	0%
Helena Agri Enterprises, LLC	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	4	100%	0%
Gwenyn Hill Farm, LLC	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	4	100%	0%
Gollon Bait and Fish Farm	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	3	100%	0%
Pleasant Valley, LLC	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	3	100%	0%
Snudden Farms, LLC	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	3	100%	0%
Bushel and a Peck, LLC	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	3	100%	0%
Red Cedar Honey Farms, LLC	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	2	100%	0%
Mulberry Lane Farm, Inc.	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	2	100%	0%
Debucks Sod Farm of Wisconsin, Inc.	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	2	100%	0%
Growing, LLC	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	2	100%	0%
Pergande Cranberry Marsh, Inc.	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	1	100%	0%
Leffel Roots, LLC	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	1	100%	0%
Johnson Grass Dairy	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	1	100%	0%