H-2A by state / South Dakota
H-2A help for South Dakota farms
Battenkill Ag files H-2A for family farms across South Dakota. Here is what the program looks like in the state, from the Department of Labor's latest filings.
- H-2A applications, FY2025
- 625
- Workers requested
- 3,370
- Employers filing
- 456
- Typical crew size
- 3
When South Dakota crews start
The busiest start months are March, February and April. 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 South Dakota farms grow with H-2A
Farms filing their own H-2A in South Dakota most often grow grain, corn and soybeans, mixed and specialty crops, cattle and cattle feedlots.
The most worksites are in Potter, Edmunds, Brown, Sully and Beadle counties.
397 of the 410 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 South Dakota, or a higher prevailing, union or minimum wage if one applies. On FY2026 filings for crop workers in South Dakota, the median wage offered was $17.48 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 South Dakota'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
South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, Foreign Labor Certification
Phone: 605-773-3101
Returning employers can schedule the inspection before submitting the job order.
Official South Dakota H-2A page
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
South Dakota H-2A questions
How many farms use the H-2A program in South Dakota?
In fiscal year 2025, 456 employers filed 625 H-2A applications for work in South Dakota, requesting 3,370 workers. The typical application asked for 3 workers.
When do H-2A workers usually start in South Dakota?
The busiest start months in South Dakota are March, February and April. 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 South Dakota?
H-2A workers must be paid at least the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) that the Department of Labor sets for South Dakota, or a higher prevailing, union or minimum wage if one applies. On fiscal year 2026 filings for crop workers in South Dakota, the median wage offered was $17.48 an hour. Check the current AEWR on the Department of Labor's FLAG site before you file.
Who inspects H-2A housing in South Dakota?
South Dakota'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 South Dakota farm?
Yes. Battenkill Ag prepares and files H-2A paperwork for family farms in South Dakota: 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 South Dakota?
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.