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Sunday, September 7, 2025

Alabama: How many seasonal farmworker visas were requested by Wholesale Trade employers in 2024

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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

Employers classified under the Wholesale Trade industry based in Alabama submitted 85 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.

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 1,155 job orders during the same period, with an approval rate of 100%.

The Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting industry led the H-2A filings in Alabama during 2024, with 1,070 petitions (92.6% of all submissions), and an approval rate of 100%. Meanwhile, the Wholesale Trade industry was the second largest contributor, filing 85 petitions (7.4% of the total), with an approval rate of 100%.

The Alabama employer that made the most petitions classified under the Wholesale Trade sector during 2024 was Bonnie Plants, LLC, with 64 petitions.

Compared to 2023, the Wholesale Trade sector in the state saw a 74.9% 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.

H-2A Petitions by Industry in Alabama, 2024
RankIndustryTotal Petitions% of All Submissions% Approved% Denied
1Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting1,07092.6%100%0%
2Wholesale Trade857.4%100%0%
Top Employers H-2A Petitions in Alabama during 2024
Company NameIndustryTotal Petitions% Approved% Denied
Evelin LopezAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting149100%0%
Alex Kontos Fruit CompanyAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting147100%0%
Young S Plant Farm, Inc.Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting130100%0%
Tom Dodd Nurseries, Inc.Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting90100%0%
Stokley Nursery, LLCAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting70100%0%
Flowerwood Nursery, Inc.Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting66100%0%
Bonnie Plants, LLCWholesale Trade64100%0%
Jimmy W Durbin FarmsAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting50100%0%
Alabama Catfish, LLCAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting49100%0%
Willoughby Farms, LLCAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting30100%0%
Sandy Bay Oyster CompanyAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting28100%0%
CCC Associates Company, Inc.Wholesale Trade21100%0%
Milstead Farm Group, Inc.Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting19100%0%
Martin S Nursery, Inc.Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting18100%0%
Woerner Farms, LLCAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting17100%0%
Autauga Farming Company, Inc.Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting12100%0%
Servico, Inc.Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting10100%0%
Alta Turf, Inc.Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting9100%0%
Colby Willoughby FarmsAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting8100%0%
Scotts OrchardAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting8100%0%
Circle C Farms, Inc.Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting8100%0%
Turner Farms NurseryAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting7100%0%
Oakland Gin CompanyAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting6100%0%
Shelby Sod Company, Inc.Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting6100%0%
Wootten Farms, Inc.Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting6100%0%
Albemarle, Corp.Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting6100%0%
Higher Wire Farms, LLCAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting6100%0%
Haynes Farming Company, LLCAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting5100%0%
Turner Brothers Farm, LLCAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting5100%0%
Ireland Farms, LLCAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting5100%0%
Clark Farms PartnershipAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting5100%0%
Newby FarmsAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting5100%0%
Morris and Morris FarmsAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting5100%0%
American Sport FishAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting4100%0%
Cassebaum Farms, Inc.Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting4100%0%
Catfish Wireless, LLCAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting4100%0%
Cleverdon Farms, Inc.Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting4100%0%
Sandollar Cattle Farm, LLCAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting4100%0%
Dadeo, Inc.Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting4100%0%
Murphree Seed Farm, Inc.Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting4100%0%
Mountain View Orchards, LLCAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting4100%0%
Frank Turner Construction Company, Inc.Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting4100%0%
James Martin Farms, LLCAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting4100%0%
Dombhart Farms, LLCAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting4100%0%
Louallen FarmsAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting3100%0%
Boozer FarmsAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting3100%0%
French Construction, Inc.Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting2100%0%
Blaxton, LLCAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting2100%0%
Ivy Creek Poultry Farms, LLCAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting2100%0%
Sunset Farms, Inc.Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting2100%0%
Clark Dairy, Inc.Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting2100%0%
Snow S Bend Farm, Inc.Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting2100%0%
Ellis FarmsAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting2100%0%
Jhonston Cattle Company, LLCAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting2100%0%
D Bar Farms, LLCAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting2100%0%
Enviroment, Inc.Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting2100%0%
Rose Hill Farming Company, Inc.Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting2100%0%
Old Stage FarmsAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting2100%0%
Le Properties, LLCAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting2100%0%
Lee Farms PartnershipAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting2100%0%
Mullek FarmsAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting2100%0%
Cogle Farm, LLCAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting1100%0%
Grant BrothersAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting1100%0%
Weston Farms Mater ShackAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting1100%0%
Blaxton Comodities Services Integrated, LLCAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting1100%0%
Bell Place Farms, LLCAgriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting1100%0%

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