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.
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 NC South Carolina Times publication area submitted 298 petitions during the same period, achieving an approval rate of 96.3%.
While the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry led the H-1B filings with 157 petitions, representing 52.7% of all submissions in the NC South Carolina Times publication area during 2024, the next largest contributor was the Manufacturing industry, which accounted for 76 petitions and represented 25.5% of the total. Among petitions from employers in the Manufacturing industry, all were approved.
The NC South Carolina Times publication area employers with the most petitions categorized under the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services sector during 2024 included Wissenit, Inc., which filed 27 petitions with an approval rate of 88.9%, Orrba Systems, LLC with 26 petitions and an approval rate of 96.2%, and Caliber It Solutions, Inc., which filed 25 petitions with an approval rate of 100%.
Compared to 2023, the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services sector in the NC South Carolina Times publication area saw a 6.5% 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 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 157 | 52.7% | 93.6% | 6.4% |
| 2 | Manufacturing | 76 | 25.5% | 100% | 0% |
| 3 | Finance and Insurance | 26 | 8.7% | 100% | 0% |
| 4 | Educational Services | 20 | 6.7% | 95% | 5% |
| 5 | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 9 | 3% | 100% | 0% |
| 6 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 0.7% | 100% | 0% |
| 7 | Utilities | 1 | 0.3% | 100% | 0% |
| 7 | Wholesale Trade | 1 | 0.3% | 100% | 0% |
| 7 | Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 1 | 0.3% | 100% | 0% |
| Company Name | Industry | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schaeffler Group USA, Inc. | Manufacturing | 31 | 100% | 0% |
| Wissenit, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 28 | 89.3% | 10.7% |
| Orrba Systems, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 26 | 96.2% | 3.8% |
| LPL Financial, LLC | Finance and Insurance | 26 | 100% | 0% |
| Caliber It Solutions, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 25 | 100% | 0% |
| Rbus a Red Ventures Company, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 24 | 95.8% | 4.2% |
| Schaeffler Transmission, LLC | Manufacturing | 21 | 100% | 0% |
| Nacittech, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 14 | 100% | 0% |
| Sunbelt Rentals, Inc. | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Appstream Technologies, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 11 | 81.8% | 18.2% |
| Techwizens, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| 3D Systems, Inc. | Manufacturing | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Coker University | Educational Services | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Rock Hill School District Three | Educational Services | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Winthrop University | Educational Services | 5 | 80% | 20% |
| Sonoco Products Company | Manufacturing | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Continental Tire the Americas, LLC | Manufacturing | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Domtar Paper Company, LLC | Manufacturing | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Contextlogic, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 0% | 100% |
| Health Payroll Services, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Aarkay Technologies, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Spark It Technologies, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Power Technique North America, LLC | Manufacturing | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Digitalera, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Vidlexinfo, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Technospire, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Adult Enrichment Centers, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Sun Fiber, LLC | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Summit Engineering Laboratory & Testing, PC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Skyline Steel, LLC | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Aviation Technology Associates, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Caresouth Carolina, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Samas, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% | |
| Haile Gold Mine, Inc. | Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Chester Metropolitan District | Utilities | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Onedata Software Solutions, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Collaborative Medical Solutions in | Wholesale Trade | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Kinectra, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Keer America Corporation | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
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