Of these, 2,085 were approved (99.4%), while 12 were denied (0.6%).
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%, higher than 2023's 97.3%. Statewide, Illinois employers across all industries submitted 19,923 petitions during the same period, achieving an approval rate of 98.7%.
While the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry led the H-1B filings with 10,665 petitions, representing 53.5% of all submissions in Illinois during 2024, the next largest contributor was the Finance and Insurance industry, which accounted for 2,097 petitions and represented 10.5% of the total. Among petitions from employers in the Finance and Insurance industry, 10,502 were approved and 163 were denied.
The Illinois employers which made the most petitions in the Finance and Insurance sector during 2024 included DFS Corporate Services, LLC with 480 petitions, The Northern Trust Company with 139 petitions, and Health Care Service Corporation with 129 petitions.
Compared to 2023, the Finance and Insurance sector in Illinois saw a 5.8% 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 | 10,665 | 53.5% | 98.5% | 1.5% |
| 2 | Finance and Insurance | 2,097 | 10.5% | 99.4% | 0.6% |
| 3 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | 1,978 | 9.9% | 99.3% | 0.7% |
| 4 | Manufacturing | 1,744 | 8.8% | 99.1% | 0.9% |
| 5 | Educational Services | 1,221 | 6.1% | 98% | 2% |
| 6 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 803 | 4% | 98.6% | 1.4% |
| 7 | Information | 303 | 1.5% | 99.3% | 0.7% |
| 8 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 251 | 1.3% | 98.8% | 1.2% |
| 9 | Wholesale Trade | 189 | 1% | 95.8% | 4.2% |
| 10 | Retail Trade | 141 | 0.7% | 99.3% | 0.7% |
| 11 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 131 | 0.7% | 97.7% | 2.3% |
| 12 | Accommodation and Food Services | 107 | 0.5% | 100% | 0% |
| 13 | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 81 | 0.4% | 100% | 0% |
| 14 | Construction | 63 | 0.3% | 95.2% | 4.8% |
| 14 | Transportation and Warehousing | 63 | 0.3% | 98.4% | 1.6% |
| 16 | Utilities | 40 | 0.2% | 100% | 0% |
| 17 | Public Administration | 25 | 0.1% | 96% | 4% |
| 18 | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 17 | 0.1% | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 3 | 0% | 100% | 0% |
| 20 | Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 1 | 0% | 100% | 0% |
Top Employers in Finance and Insurance Industry in Illinois, 2024
| Rank | Company Name | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DFS Corporate Services, LLC | 480 | 99.6% | 0.4% |
| 2 | The Northern Trust Company | 139 | 100% | 0% |
| 3 | Health Care Service Corporation | 129 | 98.5% | 1.6% |
| 4 | Discover Products, Inc. | 126 | 100% | 0% |
| 5 | The Options Clearing Corporation | 66 | 100% | 0% |
| 6 | Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Inc. | 60 | 98.3% | 1.7% |
| 6 | Zurich American Insurance Company | 60 | 98.3% | 1.7% |
| 8 | Balyasny Asset Management L P | 56 | 100% | 0% |
| 9 | Jump Operations, LLC | 51 | 96.1% | 3.9% |
| 10 | BMO Bank, N A | 50 | 100% | 0% |
| 11 | Morningstar, Inc. | 47 | 100% | 0% |
| 12 | DRW Holdings, LLC | 34 | 100% | 0% |
| 13 | Continental Casualty Company | 28 | 100% | 0% |
| 14 | Aon Consulting, Inc. | 27 | 100% | 0% |
| 15 | Arthur J Gallagher Service Company, LLC | 26 | 100% | 0% |
| 16 | Discover Bank | 24 | 100% | 0% |
| 17 | HSBC Technology and Services USA I | 23 | 100% | 0% |
| 17 | Pulse Network, LLC | 23 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | Akuna Capital, LLC | 22 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | State Farm Mutual Automobile Insur | 22 | 100% | 0% |
| 21 | Polar Operations D B a IMC Mar, LLC | 19 | 100% | 0% |
| 22 | Optiver Services US, LLC | 17 | 100% | 0% |
| 22 | IMC Americas, Inc. | 17 | 94.1% | 5.9% |
| 22 | Bluecross Blueshield Association | 17 | 100% | 0% |
| 25 | William Blair and Company, LLC | 16 | 93.8% | 6.3% |
| 26 | Aon Service Corporation | 15 | 93.3% | 6.7% |
| 26 | Alight Solutions, LLC | 15 | 100% | 0% |
| 26 | Allstate Insurance Company | 15 | 100% | 0% |
| 29 | DFS Services, LLC | 14 | 100% | 0% |
| 29 | Avant, LLC | 14 | 100% | 0% |
| 31 | Cboe Global Markets, Inc. | 13 | 100% | 0% |
| 32 | HSBC Securities USA, Inc. | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| 32 | Apex Fintech Services, LLC | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| 34 | Enova Financial Holdings, LLC | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| 34 | HSBC Bank USA, NA | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| 36 | Merastar Insurance Company | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| 36 | Morningstar Investment Management | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| 38 | Guggenheim Securities, LLC | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| 38 | Federal Home Loan Bank Chicago | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| 40 | Headlands Technician Organization, LLC | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| 40 | DBRS, Inc. | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| 40 | Aon Re, Inc. | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| 40 | BMO Capital Markets, Corp. | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| 40 | Aquatic Group, LLC | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| 40 | RLI Insurance Company | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| 40 | Milliman, Inc. | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| 40 | CTC Trading Group, LLC | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| 48 | Team Belvedere, LLC | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| 49 | Vantage Services, LLC | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| 49 | Opportunity Financial, LLC | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| 49 | ABN Amro Clearing USA, LLC | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| 49 | BDT Capital Partners, LLC | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| 49 | Pitchbook Data, Inc. | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| 49 | Maven Securities US Limited | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| 49 | Marathon Capital, LLC | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| 49 | Gelber Group, LLC | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| 57 | Allianz Global Risks US Insurance | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| 57 | Alliant Credit Union | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| 57 | Transmarket Operations, LLC | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| 57 | Sunrise Futures, LLC | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| 57 | Inspira Financial Trust, LLC | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| 57 | Zurich Services US, LLC | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| 57 | Guaranteed Rate, Inc. | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| 57 | Popular Bank | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| 57 | Magma Capital Management, LLC | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| 66 | Nuveen Services, LLC | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 66 | Group One Trading LP | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 66 | Clearcover, Inc. | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 66 | Golub Capital, LLC | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 66 | Aon Risk Consultants, Inc. | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 66 | Hdvi Technologies, Inc. | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 66 | Bank of Montreal | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 66 | Prairie Operations, LLC | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 66 | Geneva Trading USA, LLC | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 66 | Old National Bank | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 66 | Marex Services, Inc. | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 66 | Old Mission Capital, LLC | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 66 | HSBC Technology Services USA, Inc. | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 66 | Navistar Financial Corporation | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 66 | Polar Operations, LLC | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 66 | Hang Tung Resources USA Company, Ltd. | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | DRW Associates, LLC | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | Calamos Advisors, LLC | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | Coverwallet, Inc. | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | Thoma Bravo LP | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | Adams Street Partners, LLC | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | Trek Labs, Inc. | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | International Bank of Chicago | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | Mesirow Financial | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | Kodai Capital Management LP | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | Morningstar Investment Management, LLC | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | Scalp Trade, LLC | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | PLS Financial Services, Inc. | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | Prime Trading, LLC | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | Unique Wealth Strategies, Inc. | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | Braviant, LLC | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | Arpels Investment, LLC | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | OMS National Insurance Company | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | Guggenheim Partners Investment Manager | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | Legal General Investment Management America, Inc. | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | Nex Services North America, LLC | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | BMO Harris Bank, NA | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | Alter Domus, Inc. | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | Tradelink, LLC | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | Aon Investments USA, Inc. | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | Aicapital, LLC | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | Trustmark Services Company | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | Harris Associates | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | Kernel Trading Technologies LP | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | Monroe Capital, LLC | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | 3red Partners, LLC | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | Vector Trading, LLC | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 82 | Euclid Insurance Services, Inc. | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Futurity Group, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | International Infusion Advisors | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Tastylive, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Millennium Bank | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Reliance Capital Markets II, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Asset Allocation and Management Company | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Kora Financial, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Multiplan, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Service Payment Plan, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Amount D B a Amount Small Business F K a Linear Financial Technologies | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Zacks Investment Research, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Equitrust Life Insurance Company | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | William Blair Company, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Blackrock Financial Management, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Guggenheim Services, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Luminare Health Benefits, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Formidium, Corp. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Northleaf Capital Partners USA, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Taos Global Group, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Aon Risk Services of Maryland, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Unite Here Health | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | CA Consulting, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | American Metro Bank | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Zacks Investment Management, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Cimc Leasing USA, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Lincoln International, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Flow State Investments LP | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Integra Credit D B a Integra Credi | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | NFP Property Casualty Services, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Consolidated Trading, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Goldenstone Investments LP | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Klover Holdings, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Ryan Specialty, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Ama Insurance Agency, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | York Business Associates | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Endurance Dealer Services, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Waller Helms Advisors, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | 818 Capital Group, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Transform SR, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Direct Access USA, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Unique Insurance Managers, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | HDI Global Insurance Company | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | The Farmers Automobile Insurance a | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Ariel Investments, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Kimmeridge Energy Management Compa | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Hightower Holding, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Horace Mann Service Corporation | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Runway Growth Capital, LLC | 1 | 0% | 100% |
| 115 | Wind Point Advisors, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Elevance Health, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Vistria Group LP | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Cboe Services Company | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Phillip Capital, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | 213 Management, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Curo Management, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Balyasny Asset Management LP | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Guggenheim Credit Services, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Lakeview Investment Group and Trad | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Newcastle Investors, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Zurich Services Corporation | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | PPM America, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Dipalo Ventures Management, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Gelber Securities, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Edgewater Services, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Victory Park Capital Advisors, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | HFR Holdings, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Peak6 Capital Management, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Curi RMB Capital, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Townsend Holdings, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Kuvare Insurance Services LP | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Payroc Worldaccess, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Htaa Holdings, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Ncif Management, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Stable USA, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Aon Insurance Managers USA, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Evozyne, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Affinity Insurance Services, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Diners Club International, Ltd. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Trionfo Solutions, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Harbor Capital Advisors, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Oak Point Partners, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Tastytrade, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Renaissance Alliance Insurance Service | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Allison Bash Insurance Agency, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Carle Holding Company, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Healthipass, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Tokio Marine Highland Insurance Se | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | GTCR, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Kovitz Investment Group Partners | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Pangea Transfer Company | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Simplex Investments, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Ziegler Capital Management, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | William Blair Investment Managemen | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Cognitive Capital, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | ADM Investor Services, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | DGC Fund Management Services, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 115 | Trident Capital Management, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |