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
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%. Locally, employers across all industries located within the Grand Rapids Reporter publication area submitted 333 petitions during the same period, achieving an approval rate of 98.2%.
The Health Care and Social Assistance industry led the H-1B filings in the Grand Rapids Reporter publication area during 2024, with 115 petitions (34.5% of all submissions), and an approval rate of 100%. Meanwhile, the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry was the second largest contributor, filing 108 petitions (32.4% of the total), with an approval rate of 97.2%.
The Grand Rapids Reporter publication area employers with the most petitions categorized under the Manufacturing sector during 2024 included Dematic, Corp., which filed 50 petitions with an approval rate of 98%, Steelcase, Inc. with five petitions and an approval rate of 100%, and Innov8 Fund, LLC, which filed two petitions with an approval rate of 100%.
Compared to 2023, the Manufacturing sector in the Grand Rapids Reporter publication area saw a 29.8% 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 | 115 | 34.5% | 100% | 0% |
| 2 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 108 | 32.4% | 97.2% | 2.8% |
| 3 | Manufacturing | 61 | 18.3% | 98.4% | 1.6% |
| 4 | Finance and Insurance | 15 | 4.5% | 100% | 0% |
| 5 | Wholesale Trade | 11 | 3.3% | 100% | 0% |
| 6 | Educational Services | 10 | 3% | 90% | 10% |
| 7 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 2 | 0.6% | 100% | 0% |
| 8 | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 1 | 0.3% | 100% | 0% |
| 8 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 1 | 0.3% | 100% | 0% |
| Company Name | Industry | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dematic, Corp. | Manufacturing | 53 | 98.1% | 1.9% |
| William Beaumont Hospital D B a Company | Health Care and Social Assistance | 40 | 100% | 0% |
| Infyshine, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 24 | 91.7% | 8.3% |
| Spectrum Health Primary Care Partn | Health Care and Social Assistance | 23 | 100% | 0% |
| Corewell Health Formerly Spectrum | Health Care and Social Assistance | 22 | 100% | 0% |
| Van Andel Research Institute | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 20 | 100% | 0% |
| Aventure Systems, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 18 | 100% | 0% |
| Gordon Food Service, Inc. | Wholesale Trade | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Initech Global, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Priority Health | Finance and Insurance | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Sena Info Technologies, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Vernus Technologies, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Oakwood Healthcare, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Corewell Health Formerly Spectrum Health System | Health Care and Social Assistance | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Calvin University | Educational Services | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| ECM Solutions, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Steelcase, Inc. | Manufacturing | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Lakeland Hospitals at Niles and St. Joseph, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Priority Health Managed Benefits I | Finance and Insurance | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Marvik Consulting, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Progressive AE, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Innov8 Fund, LLC | Manufacturing | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Pennock Hospital | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Grand Rapids Christian School Association | Educational Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| TGW Systems, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Bethany Christian Services | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Ross Recruiting, Inc. | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Renal Associates of West Michigan | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Reed City Hospital Corporation | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Spectrum Health Primary Care Partners | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Treetops Collective | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Twisthink, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| VA Enterprises, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 0% | 100% |
| Open Systems Technologies DE, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Visiting Nurse Services of Western Michigan | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| ABC Technologies Michigan, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Advantage Health St. Marys Medical | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Advantage Health/Saint Mary S Medical Group | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Alliant Enterprises, LLC | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Array of Engineers, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| BFP Enterprises, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Cardinal Senior Management, LLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Dwelling Place of Grand Rapids Nonprofit Housing Corporation | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Eenhoorn, LLC | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Forest Hills Public Schools | Educational Services | 1 | 0% | 100% |
| Grand Rapids Label Company | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Heritage Reformed Congregation of | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Homeward Health, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Lacroix Electronics MI, LLC | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Lafleur Godfrey, LLC | Finance and Insurance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Lakeland Physician Care Network | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Lambert Global, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Living Stones Academy | Educational Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Luke Bagnall Insurance Agency, Inc. | Finance and Insurance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Materials Testing Consultants | 1 | 0% | 100% | |
| Mecosta County Medical Center | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Northpointe Bank | Finance and Insurance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
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