Ur Mendoza Jaddou, Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (left) and Jennifer B. Higgins, Deputy Director. | https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/organization/leadership
Ur Mendoza Jaddou, Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (left) and Jennifer B. Higgins, Deputy Director. | https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/organization/leadership
This represents an approval rate of 98.1%, which is higher than the nationwide average.
That year, the average approval rate for H-1B petitions across the U.S. stood at 98%, slightly higher than the 97.3% recorded in 2023. Statewide, employers in Iowa across all industries submitted 1,587 petitions during the same period, with an approval rate of 98.1%.
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 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry led H-1B petition approvals in the Des Moines Sun publication area during 2024, filing a total of 181 petitions (56% of all submissions) and receiving 177 approvals, resulting in an approval rate of 97.8%. The Finance and Insurance industry followed, with 52 petitions (16.1% of all submissions) and an approval rate of 98.1%.
Employers are classified under industries based on their reported operations and may be involved in multiple industries.
The employers that filed the most petitions in the area during 2024 included Softworld Technologies, LLC with 66 petitions and 95.5% of them approved, Inteliroute Technologies, LLC with 51 petitions and all of them approved, and Sanav Technologies, LLC with 20 petitions filed and an approval rate of 100%.
Compared to 2023, Iowa saw a 28.3% 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% |
| Mercy Clinics, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| Des Moines Independent Community School District | Educational Services | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines | Finance and Insurance | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Wellmark, Inc. | Finance and Insurance | 9 | 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% |
| CDS Global, Inc. | Information | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Meredith Operations Corporation | Information | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Fidelity and Guaranty Life Business Services, Inc. | Finance and Insurance | 3 | 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% |
| Lutheran Services in Iowa, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Lanware Solutions, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Kemin Industries, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| JT Logistics Solutions, LLC | Transportation and Warehousing | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Siegwerk USA, Inc. | Manufacturing | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Iowa Kidney Physicians, P C | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Eurofins Microbiology Laboratories, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Catholic Health Initiatives Iowa, Corp. | 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% |
| Matta Dental Care, PLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Efco, Corp. | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| EMC National Life Company | Finance and Insurance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Energy Controls Technologies, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Kum and Go LC | Retail Trade | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Enlighten Management Solutions, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Jensen Construction Company | Construction | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Iowa Public Employees Retirement S | Finance and Insurance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Infonet Corporation | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
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