POLK CITY, Iowa — In recent years, H-2A temporary work visas have been increasing in price. And a portion of the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act will increase fees by a couple hundred dollars.

The new addition to the rising fees is the $250 visa integrity fee. According to the Farm Bureau, one worker application fee will cost $1,350 per employee, paid by the employer. That will nearly be $600 more than the cost two years ago. And for larger companies that do multiple employee contracts, a 20 worker contract cost is over $10,000, an increase of 127% in the last two years.

As of June 30, 2025, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services H-2A employer data hub sites 137 employers in the state that have approved temporary worker visas. With the increase costs of domestic labor, paired with the increasing visa costs, farmers have to make tough choices.

“There is certainly a labor shortage here in Iowa, it’s difficult to find labor for the farm, it’s difficult to for the people who we work with, our markets,” said Aaron Lehman, President of the Iowa Farmers Union. “Oftentimes, the buyers for what we grow, they’re having a tough time finding workers, the suppliers for farmers are having a tough time.”

If farmers don’t need to rely on temporary visas for their own labor on their property, their bottom line is still being cut down by the cost of goods by those selling to them and who they sell to.

“For ordinary farmers who are using the system and for everyone in the food system, the cost of H-2A system has gone up, and farmers don’t have the ability to pass that cost on,” said Lehman. “Most of it comes out of our bottom line. It makes it a lot harder to find new employees.”

Lehman said that farmers in the union are very frustrated with the raising costs of visa workers, as it has some considering if they need to shrink their operations to be able to continue to stay profitable.

The timeline for employers to apply for temporary workers is also growing, meaning that there will have to be a labor decision made with a lot more certainty.