Employers based in the Yakima Times publication area submitted 10,151 H-2A petitions during 2024, according to data provided by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services via the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services via the H-2A Employer Data Hub.
Of these, 10,109 were approved (99.6%), while 42 were denied (0.4%).
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.
For comparison, the average approval rate for H-2A petitions across the United States in 2024 stood at 98.8%, slightly higher than 2023’s 98.4%.
The local employers with the most temporary agricultural visa requests during 2024 included Zirkle Fruit Company, which filed 3,227 petitions with an approval rate of 100%, and Chiawana Orchards, LLC with 1,441 petitions and an approval rate of 97.1%.
Compared to 2023, the publication area saw a 16.4% increase in the number of H-2A petitions 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 | 10,151 | 100% | 99.6% | 0.4% |
| Company Name | Industry | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zirkle Fruit Company | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3,227 | 100% | 0% |
| Chiawana Orchards, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1,441 | 97.1% | 2.9% |
| Washington Fruit Administrative Services II, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1,367 | 100% | 0% |
| Wyckoff Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1,343 | 100% | 0% |
| RF Administrative Services, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 587 | 100% | 0% |
| Borton and Sons, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 402 | 100% | 0% |
| Blue Cascade Orchards Company | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 381 | 100% | 0% |
| Kershaw Farm Labor Management, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 360 | 100% | 0% |
| Green Acre Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 194 | 100% | 0% |
| NWFM, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 193 | 100% | 0% |
| Hansen Administrative Services, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 192 | 100% | 0% |
| Marquez Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 108 | 100% | 0% |
| WP Orchard, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 51 | 100% | 0% |
| Agent Management Group, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 49 | 100% | 0% |
| Double R Hop Ranches, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 42 | 100% | 0% |
| Gasseling Ranches, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 40 | 100% | 0% |
| ACL Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 35 | 100% | 0% |
| Hollingbery Farm, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 33 | 100% | 0% |
| Cornerstone Farm Management | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 30 | 100% | 0% |
| C and C Hop Farm, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 26 | 100% | 0% |
| Eddie Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 16 | 100% | 0% |
| Perrault Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Black Star Ranch, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Harvey L Jones Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Valencia Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Hub Agricultural Services | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Monson Brothers Cattle, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Bryan Livestock, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
Information in this story was obtained from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The source data can be found here.
