How many H-2A petitions made by Ocala Standard publication area employers were approved during 2024?

In 2024, 513 of the 579 H-2A petitions submitted in the Ocala Standard publication area were approved, according to data provided by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services via H-2A Employer Data Hub. They were filed by employers based in the state.

This represents an approval rate of 88.6%, 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 Ocala Standard publication area during 2024, filing a total of 537 petitions (92.7% of all submissions) and receiving 471 approvals, resulting in an approval rate of 87.7%. The Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation industry followed, with 42 petitions (7.3% of all submissions) and an approval rate of 100%.

The local employers with most temporary visa requests during 2024 included Wild Goose Farms, LLC, which filed 209 petitions with an approval rate of 90.4%, Lands Palm Trees, Inc. with 80 petitions and an approval rate of 50%, and Fresh Land Farm, Inc., which filed 57 petitions with an approval rate of 100%.

Compared to 2023, Ocala Standard publication area saw a 6.2% 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.