Ur Mendoza Jaddou, Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. | https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/organization/leadership/ur-m-jaddou-director-us-citizenship-and-immigration-services
Ur Mendoza Jaddou, Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. | https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/organization/leadership/ur-m-jaddou-director-us-citizenship-and-immigration-services
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 Columbia Standard publication area submitted 347 petitions during the same period, achieving an approval rate of 93.9%.
While the Educational Services industry led the H-1B filings with 185 petitions, representing 53.3% of all submissions in the Columbia Standard publication area during 2024, the next largest contributor was the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry, which accounted for 92 petitions and represented 26.5% of the total. Among petitions from employers in the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry, 77.2% were approved and 22.8% were denied.
Among local employers with petitions categorized under the Finance and Insurance sector during 2024, Agfirst Farm Credit Bank stood out with seven petitions and an approval rate of 100%, followed by Seibels Services Group, Inc. with one petition and an approval rate of 100%.
Compared to 2023, the Finance and Insurance sector in the Columbia Standard publication area saw an unchanged 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 | Educational Services | 185 | 53.3% | 100% | 0% |
| 2 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 92 | 26.5% | 77.2% | 22.8% |
| 3 | Manufacturing | 25 | 7.2% | 100% | 0% |
| 4 | Utilities | 17 | 4.9% | 100% | 0% |
| 5 | Finance and Insurance | 8 | 2.3% | 100% | 0% |
| 6 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 5 | 1.4% | 100% | 0% |
| 7 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | 4 | 1.2% | 100% | 0% |
| 8 | Public Administration | 3 | 0.9% | 100% | 0% |
| 9 | Information | 2 | 0.6% | 100% | 0% |
| 10 | Wholesale Trade | 1 | 0.3% | 100% | 0% |
| 10 | Retail Trade | 1 | 0.3% | 100% | 0% |
| 10 | Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 1 | 0.3% | 100% | 0% |
| Company Name | Industries | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richland County School District on | Educational Services | 73 | 100% | 0% |
| Lexington County School District O | Educational Services | 30 | 100% | 0% |
| University of South Carolina | Educational Services | 30 | 100% | 0% |
| Sanctityinternational, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 27 | 66.7% | 33.3% |
| Richland County School District One | Educational Services | 17 | 100% | 0% |
| Keen Info Tek, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 13 | 84.6% | 15.4% |
| Ammadar, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Dominion Energy Services, Inc. | Utilities | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Fairfield County School District | Educational Services | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| East Point Academy | Educational Services | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Roh Technologies, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Agfirst Farm Credit Bank | Finance and Insurance | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Virginia Electric and Power Compan | Utilities | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Ultra Aura Systems, LLC | Educational Services | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Hyper V Solutions, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services, Educational Services | 5 | 60% | 40% |
| Columbia International University | Educational Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Scout Motors, Inc. | Manufacturing | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Companion Professional Services, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Enviri Corporation Formerly Harsco | Management of Companies and Enterprises | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Healthcare School, LLC | Manufacturing | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Lexington County School District One | Educational Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Mekra Lang North America, LLC | Manufacturing | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| V2C Solutions, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 33.3% | 66.7% |
| Zettaprime, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 66.7% | 33.3% |
| China Jushi USA Corporation | Manufacturing, Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Richland County School District Two | Information, Educational Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Bethune Nonwovens, Inc. | Manufacturing | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporatio | Manufacturing | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Midlands Stem Institute | Educational Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Megasoft, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Stanadyne Operating Company, LLC | Manufacturing | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Dtec-Dominion Energy Technical Sol | Utilities | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Garuda Consultant, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 0% | 100% |
| Infrastructure Consulting and Engi | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Infrastructure Consulting & Engineering, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Additive Impact, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Yovant, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| S C Department of Natural Resource | Public Administration | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| BPG Systems, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 0% | 100% |
| School Department of Natural Resources | Public Administration | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Scott and Company, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Advance It Solutions, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Seibels Services Group, Inc. | Finance and Insurance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Softdocs School, LLC | Information | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| South Carolina Whitmore School | Educational Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Spirax Sarco, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Van Robotics, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| All Medical, Inc. | Wholesale Trade | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Sterlite Technologies, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| American Spiralweld Pipe Company, LLC | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| The Marwin Company, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Twin City Smile, LLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Applegreen USA Central Services LL | Retail Trade | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Haile Gold Mine, Inc. | Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Hubbell Power Systems, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Globalpundits Technology Consultancy, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 0% | 100% |
| Inntec Consulting, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| It Ridge Technologies, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Jasper County School District | Educational Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Krumware, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% | |
| Lexington County Health Service Di | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Freeway Music, LLC | Educational Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Lexington Health, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Lexone Solutions, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 0% | 100% |
| Concentrated Active Ingredients & Flavors, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Northside Christian Academy | Educational Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Owen Steel Company, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Paideia, LLC | Public Administration | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Prisma Health | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Pure Power Technologies, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Columbia Nephrology Associates PA | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Columbia College | Educational Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
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