Jennifer B. Higgins, Deputy Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services | https://medium.com/the-u-s-digital-service/meet-the-dhs-digital-service-champions-may-2018-caee7dade2b
Jennifer B. Higgins, Deputy Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services | https://medium.com/the-u-s-digital-service/meet-the-dhs-digital-service-champions-may-2018-caee7dade2b
Employers are classified under industries based on their reported operations and may be involved in multiple industries.
The H-1B visa program allows U.S. employers to temporarily hire foreign workers in specialty occupations requiring specialized knowledge and at least a bachelor’s degree or equivalent. It is designed to address skill gaps in the U.S. workforce while ensuring wage standards to protect both U.S. and H-1B workers. Employers must certify that they will pay H-1B workers wages equal to or greater than those of similarly qualified U.S. employees or the prevailing local wage.
The average approval rate for H-1B petitions across the United States in 2024 stood at 98%, slightly higher than 2023's 97.3%. Locally, employers across all industries located within the Des Moines Sun publication area submitted 323 petitions during the same period, achieving an approval rate of 98.1%.
While the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry led the H-1B filings with 181 petitions, representing 56% of all submissions in the Des Moines Sun publication area during 2024, the next largest contributor was the Finance and Insurance industry, which accounted for 52 petitions and represented 16.1% of the total. Among petitions from employers in the Finance and Insurance industry, 98.1% were approved and 1.9% were denied.
In 2024, the Des Moines Sun publication area employer with the most petitions categorized under the Manufacturing sector was Siegwerk USA, Inc., which filed two petitions with an approval rate of 100%.
Compared to 2023, the Manufacturing sector in the Des Moines Sun publication area saw a 33.3% increase in the number of H-1B petitions 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.
The data in this article comes from the H-1B Employer Data Hub provided by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). While USCIS strives for accuracy, manual data entry and errors on paper forms submitted by applicants or petitioners may result in discrepancies in employer names, tax IDs, locations, or other details.
| Rank | Industry | Total Petitions | % of All Submissions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 181 | 56% | 97.8% | 2.2% |
| 2 | Finance and Insurance | 52 | 16.1% | 98.1% | 1.9% |
| 3 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 25 | 7.7% | 100% | 0% |
| 4 | Educational Services | 15 | 4.6% | 100% | 0% |
| 5 | Utilities | 14 | 4.3% | 100% | 0% |
| 6 | Information | 9 | 2.8% | 100% | 0% |
| 7 | Manufacturing | 8 | 2.5% | 100% | 0% |
| 8 | Retail Trade | 7 | 2.2% | 100% | 0% |
| 9 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 2 | 0.6% | 100% | 0% |
| 9 | Transportation and Warehousing | 2 | 0.6% | 100% | 0% |
| 11 | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 1 | 0.3% | 100% | 0% |
| 11 | Construction | 1 | 0.3% | 100% | 0% |
| 11 | Wholesale Trade | 1 | 0.3% | 100% | 0% |
| Company Name | Industries | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Softworld Technologies, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 66 | 95.5% | 4.5% |
| Inteliroute Technologies, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 51 | 100% | 0% |
| Sanav Technologies, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 20 | 100% | 0% |
| Launch It, Corp. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 19 | 94.7% | 5.3% |
| Viac Services Company | Finance and Insurance | 13 | 92.3% | 7.7% |
| Midamerican Energy Company | Utilities | 13 | 100% | 0% |
| Des Moines Independent Community S | Educational Services | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| Mercy Clinics D B a Mercyone M, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Wellmark, Inc. | Finance and Insurance | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moin | Finance and Insurance | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Berkley Technology Services, LLC | Finance and Insurance | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Employers Mutual Casualty Company | Information, Finance and Insurance | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Community CPA and Associates, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Skywalk Global, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Central Iowa Hospital Corporation | Health Care and Social Assistance | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Meredith Operations Corporation | Information | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| CDS Global, Inc. | Information | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Caseys Retail Company | Retail Trade | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Drake University | Educational Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Dee Zee, Inc. | Retail Trade | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| RDG Planning and Design, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Fidelity & Guaranty Life Business Services, Inc. | Finance and Insurance | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines | Finance and Insurance | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| JT Logistics Solutions D B a J, LLC | Transportation and Warehousing | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Iowa Kidney Physicians, P C | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Kemin Industries, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Lanware Solutions, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Lutheran Services in Iowa, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Mercy Clinics, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Siegwerk USA, Inc. | Manufacturing | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Eurofins Microbiology Laboratories, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Catholic Health Initiatives - Iowa | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Cerebral Group, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Albaugh, LLC | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Wellabe Services Company | Finance and Insurance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Bankers Trust Company | Finance and Insurance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| TPR Enterprises, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| The Roman Catholic Diocese of Des | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Centerville IA | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| BHE Renewables, LLC | Utilities | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Bizrate Insights, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Shanghai Wholesale, LLC | Wholesale Trade | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Causey and Ye Law, PLLC | 1 | 0% | 100% | |
| Sacmi USA, Ltd. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Center for National Independence I | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Preferered Marketing, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Mission Cancer Blood, PLLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Consumer Safety Technology, LLC | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Edmundson ART Foundation D B a, Inc. | Retail Trade | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Efco, Corp. | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Matta Dental Care, PLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| EMC National Life Company | Finance and Insurance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Energy Controls Technologies, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Enlighten Management Solutions, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Kum and Go LC | Retail Trade | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Infonet Corporation | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Jensen Construction Company | Construction | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Iowa Public Employees Retirement S | Finance and Insurance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
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