Tammy Meckley, Associate Director, Immigration Records and Identity Services Directorate for USCIS | https://www.dhswatchlist.com/
Tammy Meckley, Associate Director, Immigration Records and Identity Services Directorate for USCIS | https://www.dhswatchlist.com/
This represents an approval rate of 95.8%, which is lower than the nationwide average.
That year, the average approval rate for H-1B petitions across the U.S. stood at 98%, slightly higher than the 97.3% recorded in 2023. Statewide, employers in Illinois across all industries submitted 20,166 petitions during the same period, with an approval rate of 98.7%.
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 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry led H-1B petition approvals in the Metro East Sun publication area during 2024, filing a total of 12 petitions (50% of all submissions) and receiving approvals for all of them. The Health Care and Social Assistance industry followed, with three petitions (12.5% of all submissions) and an approval rate of 100%.
Employers are classified under industries based on their reported operations and may be involved in multiple industries.
The employers that filed the most petitions in the area during 2024 included Hih, Inc. with six petitions and all of them approved, Uncomn, LLC, Touchette Regional Hospital, Inc. and Southern Illinois Health Care Foundation, Inc. with one petition each, along with 15 other companies.
Compared to 2023, Illinois saw a 21.1% 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 | 12 | 50% | 100% | 0% |
| 2 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 3 | 12.5% | 100% | 0% |
| 3 | Educational Services | 2 | 8.3% | 50% | 50% |
| 3 | Manufacturing | 2 | 8.3% | 100% | 0% |
| 5 | Finance and Insurance | 1 | 4.2% | 100% | 0% |
| 5 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 1 | 4.2% | 100% | 0% |
| 5 | Retail Trade | 1 | 4.2% | 100% | 0% |
| 5 | Information | 1 | 4.2% | 100% | 0% |
| Company Name | Industry | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hih, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Uncomn, LLC | Information | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Touchette Regional Hospital, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Southern Illinois Health Care Foundation, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% | |
| Progressive Recovery, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Prairie Engineers, P C | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Optimum Engineering Solutions, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Oates Associates, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Nameoki, LLC | Retail Trade | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Mckendree University | Educational Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Kaskaskia Engineering Group, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Juneau Associates PC, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Greenlight Lot, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Familia Dental ESL, LLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Di Marc, Inc. | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Crescent Home Health Agency, LLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Cope Plastics, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Belleville Christian School | Educational Services | 1 | 0% | 100% |
| Allison Bash Insurance Agency, Inc. | Finance and Insurance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
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