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
For comparison, the nationwide average approval rate is 98%.
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 Iowa across all industries submitted 1,587 petitions during the same period, with an approval rate of 98.1%.
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 Health Care and Social Assistance industry led H-1B petition approvals in the Waterloo Times publication area during 2024, filing a total of 11 petitions (37.9% of all submissions) and receiving approvals for all of them. The Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation industry followed, with seven petitions (24.1% 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 Covenant Medical Center D B a, Inc. with nine petitions and all of them approved, Sciplay Games, LLC with seven petitions and all of them approved, and Agencybloc, LLC and Cedar Valley Medical Specialists, P C with three petitions each.
Compared to 2023, Iowa saw an 11.5% 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 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 11 | 37.9% | 100% | 0% |
| 2 | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 7 | 24.1% | 100% | 0% |
| 3 | Finance and Insurance | 3 | 10.3% | 100% | 0% |
| 3 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 10.3% | 100% | 0% |
| 5 | Utilities | 2 | 6.9% | 100% | 0% |
| 5 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 2 | 6.9% | 100% | 0% |
| 7 | Public Administration | 1 | 3.4% | 100% | 0% |
| Company Name | Industries | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Covenant Medical Center D B a, Inc. | Finance and Insurance, Health Care and Social Assistance | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Sciplay Games, LLC | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Agencybloc, LLC | Finance and Insurance, Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Cedar Valley Medical Specialists, P C | Health Care and Social Assistance | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Cedar Falls Utilities | Utilities | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Distek Integration, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| VGM Group, Inc. | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| City of Cedar Falls | Public Administration | 1 | 100% | 0% |
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