During 2024, employers located within the Colorado Springs Business Daily coverage area submitted a total of 469 H-2A petitions, 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.
Every petition filed in the area received approval.
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.
Nationwide, the average approval rate for H-2A petitions in 2024 was 98.8%, a slight increase from 98.4% in 2023.
The local employers with the most temporary agricultural visa requests during 2024 included DPF Capital, Inc., which filed 95 petitions with an approval rate of 100%, and Altman Specialty Plants CA Lake Mathews, LLC with 85 petitions and an approval rate of 100%.
Among local employers, DPF Capital, Inc. led with 95 H-2A petitions, all approved, followed by Altman Specialty Plants CA Lake Mathews, LLC, which filed 85 petitions, also with a 100% approval rate.
The number of H-2A petitions filed in the Colorado Springs Business Daily publication area rose by 27.8% in 2024 compared to the previous year.
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 | 469 | 100% | 100% | 0% |
| Company Name | Industry | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DPF Capital, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 95 | 100% | 0% |
| Altman Specialty Plants CA Lake Mathews, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 85 | 100% | 0% |
| Hirakata Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 57 | 100% | 0% |
| Knapp Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 36 | 100% | 0% |
| Harding Nursery, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 28 | 100% | 0% |
| Milberger Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 22 | 100% | 0% |
| Ditomaso Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 19 | 100% | 0% |
| Mauro Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 18 | 100% | 0% |
| Matthew Proctor Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 18 | 100% | 0% |
| Genova Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 16 | 100% | 0% |
| Musso Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 14 | 100% | 0% |
| Vic Mauro Produce, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| RFMCS | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Zach Mason Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Lockhart Apiaries | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| 4S Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| LL Apiaries, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Green Belt Turf Farm, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Disanti Farms, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Reed Reed Reed Farms | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Big Valley Sod Farms, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Brackett Creek Sod Farm, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Barth and Barth | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Bar Ni Corporation | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Tyrel Reed Hay and Cattle | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Baca County Feedyard, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Willhite and Willhite, Inc. | 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.
