H-2A by state / Illinois
H-2A help for Illinois farms
Battenkill Ag files H-2A for family farms across Illinois. Here is what the program looks like in the state, from the Department of Labor's latest filings.
- H-2A applications, FY2025
- 476
- Workers requested
- 5,927
- Employers filing
- 254
- Typical crew size
- 5
When Illinois crews start
The busiest start months are March, February and June. For a March start, begin planning in November, file your job order about 75 days ahead, and expect the Department of Labor's decision about 30 days before your crew arrives.
Share of FY2025 applications by start month.
What Illinois farms grow with H-2A
Farms filing their own H-2A in Illinois most often grow grain, corn and soybeans, vegetables and melons, mixed and specialty crops and greenhouse and nursery.
The most worksites are in Sangamon, Mchenry, Mason, Whiteside and Champaign counties.
172 of the 194 farms that filed for themselves asked for fewer than 20 workers. Small, family-run crews are the norm, and that is who we work with.
Wages and the AEWR
H-2A workers must be paid at least the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) the Department of Labor sets for Illinois, or a higher prevailing, union or minimum wage if one applies. On FY2026 filings for crop workers in Illinois, the median wage offered was $15.48 an hour.
Rates change each year. Check the current rate on the Department of Labor's AEWR page, and read our AEWR guide.
Your job order and housing inspection
Your job order goes to Illinois's state workforce agency (SWA), which posts the job for U.S. workers and arranges your housing inspection. The inspection has to be done before the Department of Labor can certify your application, so schedule it early.
Schedule your housing inspection
Contact the foreign labor certification unit at Illinois's state workforce agency to request your pre-occupancy inspection. Battenkill Ag customers don't have to track this down; we set it up with the state for you.
Contacts change. Confirm with the state before you schedule.
How Battenkill Ag helps
- Job order drafted from your last season, filed with the SWA and tracked
- Department of Labor application and USCIS petition prepared and filed
- A text from us as each approval comes through
- Season compliance packet and a digital filing cabinet for your records
- Transparent, affordable pricing for family farms
Illinois H-2A questions
How many farms use the H-2A program in Illinois?
In fiscal year 2025, 254 employers filed 476 H-2A applications for work in Illinois, requesting 5,927 workers. The typical application asked for 5 workers.
When do H-2A workers usually start in Illinois?
The busiest start months in Illinois are March, February and June. For a March start, begin planning in November and have your job order filed about 75 days before your start date.
What is the H-2A wage in Illinois?
H-2A workers must be paid at least the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) that the Department of Labor sets for Illinois, or a higher prevailing, union or minimum wage if one applies. On fiscal year 2026 filings for crop workers in Illinois, the median wage offered was $15.48 an hour. Check the current AEWR on the Department of Labor's FLAG site before you file.
Who inspects H-2A housing in Illinois?
Illinois's state workforce agency (SWA) receives your job order and arranges the housing inspection, which must be done before the Department of Labor can certify your application. Schedule it early so it doesn't hold up your crew's arrival.
Can Battenkill Ag file H-2A for my Illinois farm?
Yes. Battenkill Ag prepares and files H-2A paperwork for family farms in Illinois: the job order, the Department of Labor application, the USCIS petition and your season compliance records, with transparent, affordable pricing.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification H-2A disclosure data: fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025) and fiscal year 2026 through June 2026.
Planning a March start in Illinois?
Start about four months before you need your crew. Tell us your start date and how many workers you need, and we will send you a quote.