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 Finger Lakes Today publication area submitted 284 petitions during the same period, achieving an approval rate of 96.8%.
While the Educational Services industry led the H-1B filings with 158 petitions, representing 55.6% of all submissions in the Finger Lakes Today publication area during 2024, the next largest contributor was the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry, which accounted for 61 petitions and represented 21.5% of the total. Among petitions from employers in the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry, 98.4% were approved and 1.6% were denied.
The Finger Lakes Today publication area employers with the most petitions categorized under the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services sector during 2024 included Intertek Testing Services Inc., NA, which filed 14 petitions with an approval rate of 92.9%, Hudson Data, LLC with nine petitions and an approval rate of 100%, and Professional Service Industries in, which filed seven petitions with an approval rate of 100%.
Compared to 2023, the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services sector in the Finger Lakes Today publication area saw a 1.7% 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 | Educational Services | 158 | 55.6% | 98.1% | 1.9% |
| 2 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 61 | 21.5% | 98.4% | 1.6% |
| 3 | Manufacturing | 26 | 9.2% | 96.2% | 3.8% |
| 4 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 13 | 4.6% | 84.6% | 15.4% |
| 5 | Information | 8 | 2.8% | 100% | 0% |
| 6 | Construction | 5 | 1.8% | 100% | 0% |
| 7 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 2 | 0.7% | 0% | 100% |
| 8 | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 0.4% | 100% | 0% |
| 8 | Finance and Insurance | 1 | 0.4% | 100% | 0% |
| 8 | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 1 | 0.4% | 100% | 0% |
| 8 | Transportation and Warehousing | 1 | 0.4% | 100% | 0% |
| Company Name | Industry | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornell University | Educational Services | 153 | 98% | 2% |
| Intertek Testing Services Inc., NA | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 14 | 92.9% | 7.1% |
| Hudson Data, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Coopervision, Inc. | Manufacturing | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| State University of New York at Bu | Educational Services | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Professional Service Industries in | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Foundry Digital, LLC | Information | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Hyzon Motors, Inc. | Manufacturing | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Cayuga Medical Associates, P C | Health Care and Social Assistance | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Constellation Brands, Inc. | Manufacturing | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Auburn Community Hospital | Health Care and Social Assistance | 4 | 50% | 50% |
| Acumen Security, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Intertek USA, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Sutherland Global Services, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| LSI Solutions, Inc. | Manufacturing | 2 | 50% | 50% |
| Cayuga Medical Center at Ithaca, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Ithaca College | Educational Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Meazi Staffing Agency, LLC | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 2 | 0% | 100% |
| Frank Lill and Son, Inc. | Construction | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Polaris Business Solutions, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Nicholas H Noyes Memorial Hospital | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Logical Control Solutions, Inc. | Construction | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| LMC Industrial Contractors, Inc. | Construction | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Aih, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Mitegen, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Northeast College of Health Sciences | Educational Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Professional Service Industries, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Rheonix, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Sciarabba Walker & Company, LLP | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Soctera Incorporated | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Taitem Engineering, PC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| The Cbord Group, Inc. | Information | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Three One Company, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Toptica Photonics, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Volpi Manufacturing USA, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Whitham Planning Design Landscape Architecture, PLLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| APD Engineering and Architecture P | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Architectural Testing, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Bioworks, Inc. | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Cfcu Community Credit Union | Finance and Insurance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Chiang Obrien Architects DPC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Clean Energy Associates, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| CLF Ontario, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Ecolectro, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Elim Bible Institute and College | Educational Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Ethany, Corp. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Exotanium, Inc. | Information | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Forkey Construction and Fabricatio | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Gideon Stone Design Build, LLC | Construction | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Grammatech, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Greenebaum Saiger Kasdin, PC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Grid Connected Infrastructure, LLC | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Ik Systems, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Ispice Foods | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Ivedix, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Keena Healthcare Technology, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Leonard S Express, Inc. | Transportation and Warehousing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
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