Tri Cities Reporter

Battelle Memorial Institute, the only employer classified under the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry the Tri Cities Reporter publication area to file an H-1B petition in 2024, had its petition approved, giving the company a 99.2% approval rate, according to data provided by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services via the H-1B Employer Data Hub.

Employers are classified under industries based on their reported operations and may be involved in multiple industries.

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 average approval rate for H-1B petitions across the United States in 2024 stood at 98%, slightly higher than 2023's 97.3%.

Compared to 2023, the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services sector in the Tri Cities Reporter publication area saw a 34.4% 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.

Rank	Industry	Total Petitions	% of All Submissions	% Approved	% Denied
1	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	124	89.2%	99.2%	0.8%
2	Health Care and Social Assistance	11	7.9%	100%	0%
3	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	2	1.4%	100%	0%
4	Educational Services	1	0.7%	100%	0%
4	Finance and Insurance	1	0.7%	100%	0%

Company Name	Industry	Total Petitions	% Approved	% Denied
Battelle Memorial Institute	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	124	99.2%	0.8%
Tri-Cities Community Health	Health Care and Social Assistance	6	100%	0%
Columbia Basin College	Educational Services	1	100%	0%
Greenwood Mushrooms Sunnyside IA L	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	1	100%	0%
Lourdes Hospital, LLC	Health Care and Social Assistance	1	100%	0%
Lourdes Physician Services, LLC	Health Care and Social Assistance	1	100%	0%
Olsen Brothers Ranches, Inc.	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	1	100%	0%
Prosser Public Hospital District of Benton County	Health Care and Social Assistance	1	100%	0%
RCCH Trios Health, LLC	Health Care and Social Assistance	1	100%	0%
Sunnyside Community Hospital Association	Health Care and Social Assistance	1	100%	0%
X Continental Capital, LLC	Finance and Insurance	1	100%	0%