How many H-1B petitions made by employers in SLO Reporter publication area were approved during 2024?

In 2024, 27 of the 29 H-1B petitions submitted by employers based in the SLO Reporter publication area were approved, according to data provided by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services via the H-1B Employer Data Hub.

This represents an approval rate of 93.1%, 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 California across all industries submitted 80,081 petitions during the same period, with an approval rate of 98.5%.

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 SLO Reporter publication area during 2024, filing a total of 15 petitions (51.7% of all submissions) and receiving 14 approvals, resulting in an approval rate of 93.3%. The Health Care and Social Assistance industry followed, with nine petitions (31% of all submissions) and an approval rate of 88.9%.

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 Mindbody, Inc. with seven petitions and all of them approved, CHC of the Central Coast, Inc. and Dignity Health with four petitions each, and 19six Architects and Taylor and Syfan Consulting Engineers, Inc. with two petitions each.

Compared to 2023, California saw an 18.2% decrease 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.