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
This represents an approval rate of 97.8%, 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 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 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry led H-1B petition approvals in the West DSM News publication area during 2024, filing a total of 392 petitions (77.9% of all submissions) and receiving 383 approvals, resulting in an approval rate of 97.7%. The Finance and Insurance industry followed, with 41 petitions (8.2% 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 Pioneer Consulting, LLC with 72 petitions and all of them approved, E-Giants Technologies, LLC with 71 petitions and 93% of them approved, and Kanap Systems, LLC with 54 petitions filed and an approval rate of 98.1%.
Compared to 2023, Iowa saw a 7.9% 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 | 392 | 77.9% | 97.7% | 2.3% |
| 2 | Finance and Insurance | 41 | 8.2% | 100% | 0% |
| 3 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 33 | 6.6% | 97% | 3% |
| 4 | Educational Services | 17 | 3.4% | 100% | 0% |
| 5 | Manufacturing | 7 | 1.4% | 100% | 0% |
| 6 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 3 | 0.6% | 100% | 0% |
| 7 | Retail Trade | 2 | 0.4% | 100% | 0% |
| 8 | Utilities | 1 | 0.2% | 100% | 0% |
| 8 | Wholesale Trade | 1 | 0.2% | 100% | 0% |
| 8 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 1 | 0.2% | 100% | 0% |
| Company Name | Industry | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pioneer Consulting, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 72 | 100% | 0% |
| E-Giants Technologies, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 71 | 93% | 7% |
| Kanap Systems, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 54 | 98.1% | 1.9% |
| Inteliroute Technologies, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 51 | 100% | 0% |
| Siri Consultancy Service, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 25 | 96% | 4% |
| Athene Annuity and Life Company | Finance and Insurance | 24 | 100% | 0% |
| Iowa Physicians Clinic Medical Foundation | Health Care and Social Assistance | 21 | 100% | 0% |
| Sanav Technologies, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 20 | 100% | 0% |
| Launch It, Corp. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 19 | 94.7% | 5.3% |
| American Technology Consulting, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 17 | 100% | 0% |
| Quality Consulting, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 17 | 94.1% | 5.9% |
| Des Moines Independent Community School District | Educational Services | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| Berkley Technology Services, LLC | Finance and Insurance | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Epathusa, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Mindzone It Solutions | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Community CPA and Associates, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Genesis Health System | Health Care and Social Assistance | 5 | 80% | 20% |
| American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company | Finance and Insurance | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Nybble Teksolutions, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Softversal, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Advanced Technologies Group, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Drake University | Educational Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Businessolver Com, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Omnivista Solutions, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Lutheran Services in Iowa, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Westgate Technologies, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Cardiovascular Medicine, PLLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Itvian, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Central Iowa Hospital Corporation | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Siegwerk USA, Inc. | Manufacturing | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| FBL Financial Group, Inc. | Finance and Insurance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Eurofins Microbiology Laboratories, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| The Wittern Group, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Sacmi USA, Ltd. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| TMG Insurance Services, LLC | Finance and Insurance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Preferered Marketing, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Tekvedha Solutions, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Shanghai Wholesale, LLC | Wholesale Trade | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| St. Ambrose University | Educational Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Penrose Technician Company | Finance and Insurance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Wright Service, Corp. | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Sree Infoteck, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Allen Memorial Hospital Corporation | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Big Temple Solutions | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Causey and Ye Law, PLLC | 1 | 0% | 100% | |
| Center for National Independence I | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Consumer Safety Technology, LLC | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Cultureall, Inc. | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Dennis M Winter PC, D.D.S. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Edmundson ART Foundation D B a, Inc. | Retail Trade | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Energy Controls Technologies, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Fleming Technical Resources, LLP | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Hy Vee, Inc. | Retail Trade | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Iowa Public Employees Retirement S | Finance and Insurance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Iowa-Missouri Conference of Sevent | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Itagroup, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Its, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Kuder, Inc. | Educational Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Midamerican Energy Company | Utilities | 1 | 100% | 0% |
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