Free tool: plan your H-2A season. Enter your start date and see every deadline, with an audit checklist for your dates.

Plan your season

H-2A by state / Utah

H-2A help for Utah farms

Battenkill Ag files H-2A for family farms across Utah. Here is what the program looks like in the state, from the Department of Labor's latest filings.

H-2A applications, FY2025
395
Workers requested
2,182
Employers filing
197
Typical crew size
3

When Utah crews start

The busiest start months are February, March and December. For a February start, begin planning in October, 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 Utah farms grow with H-2A

Farms filing their own H-2A in Utah most often grow sheep and goats, cattle, nursery stock and Christmas trees and mixed and specialty crops.

The most worksites are in Utah, Box Elder, Sanpete, Iron and Summit counties.

170 of the 195 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 Utah, or a higher prevailing, union or minimum wage if one applies. On FY2026 filings for crop workers in Utah, the median wage offered was $12.48 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 Utah'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

Utah Department of Workforce Services

Phone: (385) 418-2570

Email: foreignlabor@utah.gov

Official Utah 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

Utah H-2A questions

How many farms use the H-2A program in Utah?

In fiscal year 2025, 197 employers filed 395 H-2A applications for work in Utah, requesting 2,182 workers. The typical application asked for 3 workers.

When do H-2A workers usually start in Utah?

The busiest start months in Utah are February, March and December. For a February start, begin planning in October and have your job order filed about 75 days before your start date.

What is the H-2A wage in Utah?

H-2A workers must be paid at least the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) that the Department of Labor sets for Utah, or a higher prevailing, union or minimum wage if one applies. On fiscal year 2026 filings for crop workers in Utah, the median wage offered was $12.48 an hour. Check the current AEWR on the Department of Labor's FLAG site before you file.

Who inspects H-2A housing in Utah?

Utah'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 Utah farm?

Yes. Battenkill Ag prepares and files H-2A paperwork for family farms in Utah: 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 February start in Utah?

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.