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
This represents an approval rate of 97.6%, which is lower than the nationwide average.
In 2024, the average approval rate for H-1B petitions across the U.S. stood at 98%, slightly higher than the 97.3% recorded in 2023.
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 Educational Services industry led H-1B petition approvals in Alaska during 2024, filing a total of 218 petitions (88.6% of all submissions) and receiving 215 approvals, resulting in an approval rate of 98.6%. The Health Care and Social Assistance industry followed, with nine petitions (3.7% of all submissions), receiving approvals for all of them.
Employers are classified under industries based on their reported operations and may be involved in multiple industries.
The Alaska employers with the most approvals during 2024 included Lower Kuskokwim School District, filing a total of 28 petitions and receiving approvals for all of them, and Bering Strait School District, which filed 27 petitions and received approvals for all of them.
Compared to 2023, Alaska saw a 44.7% 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 Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Educational Services | 218 | 88.6% | 215 | 98.6% | 1.4% |
| 2 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 9 | 3.7% | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| 3 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 6 | 2.4% | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| 4 | Wholesale Trade | 2 | 0.8% | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 4 | Construction | 2 | 0.8% | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 6 | Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 1 | 0.4% | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 6 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 1 | 0.4% | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 6 | Information | 1 | 0.4% | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 6 | Accommodation and Food Services | 1 | 0.4% | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 10 | Transportation and Warehousing | 1 | 0.4% | 0 | 0% | 100% |
| 10 | Manufacturing | 1 | 0.4% | 0 | 0% | 100% |
| Rank | Company Name | Industry(ies) | Total Petitions | Approved Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lower Kuskokwim School District | Educational Services | 28 | 28 | 100% | 0% |
| 2 | Bering Strait School District | Educational Services | 27 | 27 | 100% | 0% |
| 2 | Northwest Arctic Borough School District | Educational Services | 28 | 27 | 96.4% | 3.6% |
| 4 | North Slope Borough School District | Educational Services | 23 | 23 | 100% | 0% |
| 4 | Galena City School District | Educational Services | 23 | 23 | 100% | 0% |
| 6 | University of Alaska Fairbanks | Educational Services | 18 | 18 | 100% | 0% |
| 7 | Lower Yukon School District | Educational Services | 12 | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| 8 | Southwest Region School District | Educational Services | 11 | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| 9 | Nome Public Schools | Educational Services | 10 | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| 10 | Kodiak Island Borough School District | Educational Services | 7 | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| 10 | Kuspuk School District | Educational Services | 8 | 7 | 87.5% | 12.5% |
| 12 | Alaska Gateway School District | Educational Services | 7 | 6 | 85.7% | 14.3% |
| 13 | Pribilof School District | Educational Services | 3 | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 13 | Anchorage School District | Educational Services | 3 | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 15 | Turnagain Marine Construction Corporation | Construction | 2 | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 15 | Yukon Flats School District | Educational Services | 2 | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 15 | Yupiit School District | Educational Services | 2 | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 15 | ZPA, LLC | Accommodation and Food Services | 2 | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 15 | JKD Brands, LLC | Wholesale Trade | 2 | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 15 | Dillingham City School District | Educational Services | 2 | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 21 | Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 21 | Alaska Power and Engineering, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 21 | Anchorage Neighborhood Health Cent | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 21 | Yakutat City School District | Educational Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 21 | Arctic Slope Regional Corporation | Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 21 | Aurora Expeditions, LLC | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 21 | Thrive Integrative Medicine, LLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 21 | The May Clinic, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 21 | Terrasond Limited | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 21 | BTY Dental Group, LLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 21 | South Peninsula Hospital, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 21 | Sel Engineering Services, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 21 | Rim Architects, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 21 | Pathology Consultants, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 21 | Ophthalmic Associates | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 21 | Fairbanks Urology, LLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 21 | GCI Communication, Corp. | Information | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 21 | Haines Borough School District | Educational Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 21 | Newhouse and Vogler, Cpas, APC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 21 | Mountain View Health Services | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 21 | Hendrix College | Educational Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 21 | Iditarod Area School District | Educational Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 21 | Kashunamiut School District | Educational Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 44 | The Landing Hotel | 1 | 0 | 0% | 100% | |
| 44 | Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation | Manufacturing | 1 | 0 | 0% | 100% |
| 44 | J M Alaska Air Tours, Inc. | Transportation and Warehousing | 1 | 0 | 0% | 100% |
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