Ted H. Kim, Associate Director Refugee, Asylum and International Operations Directorate for USCIS | https://www.naco.org/
Ted H. Kim, Associate Director Refugee, Asylum and International Operations Directorate for USCIS | https://www.naco.org/
This represents an approval rate of 98.5%, which is higher 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 Illinois across all industries submitted 20,166 petitions during the same period, with an approval rate of 98.7%.
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 Peoria Standard publication area during 2024, filing a total of 91 petitions (44.8% of all submissions) and receiving 89 approvals, resulting in an approval rate of 97.8%. The Health Care and Social Assistance industry followed, with 80 petitions (39.4% of all submissions) and an approval rate of 98.8%.
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 OSF Healthcare System with 38 petitions and all of them approved, OSF Multi-Specialty Group with 31 petitions and all of them approved, and Automotive Robotics, Inc. with 25 petitions filed and an approval rate of 96%.
Compared to 2023, Illinois saw a 1.5% 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 | 91 | 44.8% | 97.8% | 2.2% |
| 2 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 80 | 39.4% | 98.8% | 1.3% |
| 3 | Manufacturing | 20 | 9.9% | 100% | 0% |
| 4 | Finance and Insurance | 7 | 3.4% | 100% | 0% |
| 5 | Information | 1 | 0.5% | 100% | 0% |
| 5 | Educational Services | 1 | 0.5% | 100% | 0% |
| 5 | Public Administration | 1 | 0.5% | 100% | 0% |
| 5 | Construction | 1 | 0.5% | 100% | 0% |
| Company Name | Industries | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OSF Healthcare System | Health Care and Social Assistance | 38 | 100% | 0% |
| OSF Multi-Specialty Group | Health Care and Social Assistance | 31 | 100% | 0% |
| Automotive Robotics, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 25 | 96% | 4% |
| Axiscades, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 16 | 100% | 0% |
| Quad K Technologies, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Cintal, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Autonomous Stuff, LLC | Manufacturing | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Virtusense Technologies, Inc. | Manufacturing, Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 7 | 85.7% | 14.3% |
| RLI Insurance Company | Finance and Insurance | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Natural Fiber Welding, Inc. | Manufacturing | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Tada Cognitive Solutions D B a, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| CPO Services, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Hexar It Solutions, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Brathon Consulting, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Precision Planting, LLC | Manufacturing | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Interaction Development, Corp. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Advanced Cad Cam Service | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Belcan Engineering Group | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| The Bixby Eye Center, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Affinity Dental Pekin, LLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Tabitha Ventures, Inc. | Construction | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Secure Dental VIII, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% | |
| Alhadi Wireless, Inc. | Information | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Renalcare Associates School | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 0% | 100% |
| American Buildings Company | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Peoria County State'S Attorney'S Office | Public Administration | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Bradley University | Educational Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Central Illinois Friends of PWA, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Oncology-Hematology Associates of Central IL, PC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| CGN Associates, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Midwest Engineering Associates, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Matcor Metal Fabrication Illinois, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Jtec Industries, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| DSM H, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Hopedale Med Foundation | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Heyl Royster Voelker and Allen | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Familia Dental Peoria 1, LLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Hermann and Associates, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
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