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
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 SE Houston News publication area submitted 258 petitions during the same period, achieving an approval rate of 97.7%.
While the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry led the H-1B filings with 135 petitions, representing 52.3% of all submissions in the SE Houston News publication area during 2024, the next largest contributor was the Manufacturing industry, which accounted for 39 petitions and represented 15.1% of the total. Among petitions from employers in the Manufacturing industry, all were approved.
The SE Houston News publication area employers with the most petitions categorized under the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services sector during 2024 included Mergen It, LLC, which filed 20 petitions with an approval rate of 100%, DNV Energy USA, Inc. with 12 petitions and an approval rate of 75%, and DNV Energy Insights USA, Inc., which filed nine petitions with an approval rate of 100%.
Compared to 2023, the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services sector in the SE Houston News publication area saw a 32.4% 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 | 135 | 52.3% | 97% | 3% |
| 2 | Manufacturing | 39 | 15.1% | 100% | 0% |
| 3 | Educational Services | 22 | 8.5% | 100% | 0% |
| 4 | Retail Trade | 19 | 7.4% | 100% | 0% |
| 5 | Construction | 15 | 5.8% | 100% | 0% |
| 6 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 14 | 5.4% | 85.7% | 14.3% |
| 7 | Wholesale Trade | 3 | 1.2% | 100% | 0% |
| 7 | Information | 3 | 1.2% | 100% | 0% |
| 9 | Public Administration | 2 | 0.8% | 100% | 0% |
| 10 | Utilities | 1 | 0.4% | 100% | 0% |
| 10 | Transportation and Warehousing | 1 | 0.4% | 100% | 0% |
| Company Name | Industry | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Texas Medical BR | Educational Services | 20 | 100% | 0% |
| Mergen It, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 20 | 100% | 0% |
| Lonza Houston, Inc. | Manufacturing | 19 | 100% | 0% |
| Academy D B a Academy Sports O, Ltd. | Retail Trade | 16 | 100% | 0% |
| DNV Energy USA, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 12 | 75% | 25% |
| Vijaya Consultancy Services, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| DNV Energy Insights USA, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Jacobs Project Management Company | Construction | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Kanshe Dayalu Enterprises, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| GM Infotech, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| DNV Energy Services USA, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Cambay Consulting, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Jacobs Civil Consultants, Inc. | Construction | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| DNV GL USA, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Convextech, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Livanova USA, Inc. | Manufacturing | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Syzygy Plasmonics, Inc. | Manufacturing | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Adaptis, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Armstrong Medical Group | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Kelsey Seybold Medical Group, PLLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 50% | 50% |
| Gir Software Services, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Safekick Americas, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Odyssey Space Research, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Plant Process Equipment, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Kwik Equipment Sales, LLC | Manufacturing | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Compressor International Corporation | Manufacturing | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| CH2M Hill, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| The Devereux Foundation | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 50% | 50% |
| Wia Systems, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Academy D B a Academy Sports Outdoors, Ltd. | Retail Trade | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Leo Does It, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Clear Lake Montessori School D, LLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| ANB Systems, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Oceanus Maritime Services, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Mcip Industrial Enterprises Corpor | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Nevvera, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Neuman and Esser USA, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| National Field Services | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Alpha Forest International, Inc. | Wholesale Trade | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Preferred Engineering LP | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Promedic Ancillary Services, LLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Quality Institute of America, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Robur Group USA, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| RSB Solutions Company, Ltd. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Sineng Electric, Inc. | Utilities | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Sinoboom North America, LLC | Wholesale Trade | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| SK Global Software, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| SKY Brand Wood Products, Inc. | Wholesale Trade | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| SR Veterinary Associates, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Tietronix Software, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Universal Weather and Aviation, LLC | Transportation and Warehousing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| University of Houston | Educational Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Velocity Promotions, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Zeeshan Haq Ceo | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Cambay Solutions, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| City of Manvel | Public Administration | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Clear Creek Independent School Dis | Educational Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| CLS Health, PLLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Community Health Network | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Binaryway, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Backchina, LLC | Information | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| DNV GL Healthcare USA, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Drda, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Eagle Maritime Consultants, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Ej Reynolds Company | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| El Systems Corporation | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| EM2 Management Solutions, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Falcon Placement Services | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Galen Data, Inc. | Information | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| GC Engineering, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Avcomm Technologies, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Hartigen Solutions, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Heights Family Practice, PLLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Holystar Footwear, LLC | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Inframark, LLC | Public Administration | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Arthur Lawrence US, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Jonas Fitness, Inc. | Information | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Jupeng Bio, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Kelsey-Seybold Medical Group, PLLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Kstreet International, Inc. | Retail Trade | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Kuraray America, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Learnsap, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 0% | 100% |
| Locke Solutions, LLC | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Maritime Drilling Consultancy | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
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