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 Monroe County News publication area submitted 408 petitions during the same period, achieving an approval rate of 98%.
While the Health Care and Social Assistance industry led the H-1B filings with 251 petitions, representing 61.5% of all submissions in the Monroe County News publication area during 2024, the next largest contributor was the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry, which accounted for 88 petitions and represented 21.6% of the total. Among petitions from employers in the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry, 97.7% were approved and 2.3% were denied.
The Monroe County News publication area employers with the most petitions categorized under the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services sector during 2024 included Galax-Esystems Corporation, which filed 25 petitions with an approval rate of 96%, Michael Baker International, Inc. with 24 petitions and an approval rate of 95.8%, and SDLC Management, Inc., which filed 16 petitions with an approval rate of 100%.
Compared to 2023, the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services sector in the Monroe County News publication area saw a 2.3% 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 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 251 | 61.5% | 98% | 2% |
| 2 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 88 | 21.6% | 97.7% | 2.3% |
| 3 | Manufacturing | 34 | 8.3% | 100% | 0% |
| 4 | Transportation and Warehousing | 16 | 3.9% | 93.8% | 6.3% |
| 5 | Finance and Insurance | 7 | 1.7% | 100% | 0% |
| 6 | Educational Services | 4 | 1% | 100% | 0% |
| 7 | Information | 2 | 0.5% | 100% | 0% |
| 8 | Accommodation and Food Services | 1 | 0.2% | 100% | 0% |
| 8 | Retail Trade | 1 | 0.2% | 100% | 0% |
| 8 | Wholesale Trade | 1 | 0.2% | 100% | 0% |
| Company Name | Industries | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPMC Medical Education | Health Care and Social Assistance | 100 | 100% | 0% |
| University of Pittsburgh Physicians | Health Care and Social Assistance | 90 | 95.6% | 4.4% |
| Galax-Esystems Corporation | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 26 | 96.2% | 3.8% |
| Michael Baker International, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 24 | 95.8% | 4.2% |
| Sanofi Pasteur, Inc. | Manufacturing | 23 | 100% | 0% |
| Hitachi Rail STS USA, Inc. | Manufacturing, Transportation and Warehousing | 18 | 94.4% | 5.6% |
| SDLC Management, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 16 | 100% | 0% |
| UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside | Health Care and Social Assistance | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Great Lakes Physician Practice, PC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Susquehanna Physician Services | Health Care and Social Assistance | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Skilzmatrix Digital, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsbur | Finance and Insurance | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Pinnacle Health Medical Services | Health Care and Social Assistance | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| UPMC Community Medicine, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Elsource, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Wesco Distribution, Inc. | Manufacturing | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| UPMC Altoona | Health Care and Social Assistance | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| United States Steel Corporation | Manufacturing | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| UPMC Mckeesport | Health Care and Social Assistance | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| UPMC Western Maryland Health Services, LLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| AMR Logics, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| UPMC Altoona Regional Health Servi | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| UPMC Williamsport | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Saint Francis University | Educational Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Regional Health Services, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Charles Cole Memorial Hospital D B | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Hatch Associates Consultants, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Pocono Pharmacy, Inc. | Retail Trade | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| UPMC Altoona Regional Health Services, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 0% | 100% |
| UPMC Children S Hospital of Pittsburgh | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Exus North America Management Partners, LLC | Finance and Insurance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| UPMC Hamot | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| UPMC Health Plan, Inc. | Finance and Insurance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| County of Allegheny | 1 | 100% | 0% | |
| Corepower Magnetics, Inc. | Information | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| UPMC Passavant | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| UPMC Pinnacle Hospitals | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Childrens Community Care, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| UPMC Wellsboro | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| UPMC Western Maryland, Corp. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| UPMC Western Maryland Corporation | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Buchanan Ingersoll and Rooney, PC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Ameya Global, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Rieker Instrument Company, Inc. | Wholesale Trade | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Rogers and Rogers, PC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Pinnacle Health Hospitalist Servic | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| PGH Technician Ladder, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Schell Games, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Neumann University | Educational Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Shelfmark, Inc. | Information | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| National Cyber Forensics and Train | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Stat N Technician, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Koppers, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| The Wilbanks Consulting Group, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Kanyas Thai Orchid, LLC | Accommodation and Food Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| University of Pittsburgh | Educational Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Griff and Associates, LLC | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Family Resources | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
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