Ted H. Kim, Associate Director Refugee, Asylum and International Operations Directorate for USCIS | https://www.naco.org/
Ted H. Kim, Associate Director Refugee, Asylum and International Operations Directorate for USCIS | https://www.naco.org/
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.
In 2024, the average approval rate for H-1B petitions across the United States stood at 98%, slightly higher than 2023's 97.3%.
The Educational Services industry led the H-1B filings locally during 2024, with 185 petitions (53.3% of all submissions), and an approval rate of 100%. Meanwhile, the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry was the second largest contributor, filing 92 petitions (26.5% of the total), with an approval rate of 77.2%.
The Columbia Standard publication area employers with the most petitions during 2024 included Richland County School District One, which filed 90 petitions with an approval rate of 100%, Lexington County School District One with 33 petitions and an approval rate of 100%, and University of South Carolina, which filed 30 petitions with an approval rate of 100%.
Compared to 2023, the Columbia Standard publication area saw a 12.6% decrease 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 | 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 | Industry(ies) | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richland County School District One | Educational Services | 90 | 100% | 0% |
| Lexington County School District One | Educational Services | 33 | 100% | 0% |
| University of South Carolina | Educational Services | 30 | 100% | 0% |
| Sanctityinternational, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 27 | 66.7% | 33.3% |
| 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 Company | Utilities | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Ultraaura Systems, LLC | Educational Services | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Hyper V Solutions, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services, Educational Services | 5 | 60% | 40% |
| Scout Motors, Inc. | Manufacturing | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Columbia International University | Educational Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Infrastructure Consulting and Engineering, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Companion Professional Services | 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% |
| 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% |
| S C Department of Natural Resource | Public Administration | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Garuda Consultant, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 0% | 100% |
| Bethune Nonwovens, Inc. | Manufacturing | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Dtec-Dominion Energy Technical Sol | Utilities | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation | Manufacturing | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Midlands Stem Institute | Educational Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Stanadyne Operating Company, LLC | Manufacturing | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Megasoft, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| BPG Systems, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 0% | 100% |
| Scott and Company, LLC | 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% |
| Sterlite Technologies, Inc. | 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% |
| American Spiralweld Pipe Company, LLC | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| All Medical, Inc. | Wholesale Trade | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Van Robotics, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Advanced It Solutions, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Yovant, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Additive Impact, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Haile Gold Mine, Inc. | Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Globalpundits Technology Consultancy, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 0% | 100% |
| Hubbell Power Systems, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Freeway Music, LLC | Educational Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 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 District, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Concentrated Active Ingredients and Flavors, Inc. | Manufacturing | 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% |
| Columbia Nephrology Associates PA | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Nelson Mullins Riley and 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 College | Educational Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
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