All of the petitions submitted in the period were approved.
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, California employers across all industries submitted 79,284 petitions during the same period, achieving an approval rate of 98.5%.
The Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry led the H-1B filings in California during 2024, with 35,542 petitions (44.8% of all submissions), and an approval rate of 98.1%. Meanwhile, the Manufacturing industry was the second largest contributor, filing 16,698 petitions (21.1% of the total), with an approval rate of 99.1%.
The California employers which made the most petitions in the Public Administration sector during 2024 included Planet Labs PBC with eight petitions and California Air Resources Board with six petitions.
Compared to 2023, the Public Administration sector in California saw a 9.1% 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 | 35,542 | 44.8% | 98.1% | 1.9% |
| 2 | Manufacturing | 16,698 | 21.1% | 99.1% | 0.9% |
| 3 | Information | 13,750 | 17.3% | 98.9% | 1.1% |
| 4 | Finance and Insurance | 4,120 | 5.2% | 98.9% | 1.1% |
| 5 | Educational Services | 3,261 | 4.1% | 98.7% | 1.3% |
| 6 | Retail Trade | 1,520 | 1.9% | 98.6% | 1.5% |
| 7 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1,402 | 1.8% | 97.5% | 2.5% |
| 8 | Wholesale Trade | 670 | 0.9% | 97.9% | 2.1% |
| 9 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 552 | 0.7% | 95.8% | 4.2% |
| 10 | Construction | 440 | 0.6% | 98.6% | 1.4% |
| 11 | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 264 | 0.3% | 98.9% | 1.1% |
| 12 | Transportation and Warehousing | 222 | 0.3% | 94.6% | 5.4% |
| 13 | Utilities | 201 | 0.3% | 98.5% | 1.5% |
| 14 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 175 | 0.2% | 95.4% | 4.6% |
| 15 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | 112 | 0.1% | 99.1% | 0.9% |
| 16 | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 97 | 0.1% | 93.8% | 6.2% |
| 17 | Public Administration | 90 | 0.1% | 100% | 0% |
| 18 | Accommodation and Food Services | 76 | 0.1% | 86.8% | 13.2% |
| 19 | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 51 | 0.1% | 96.1% | 3.9% |
| 20 | Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 41 | 0.1% | 100% | 0% |
Top Employers in Public Administration Industry in California, 2024
| Rank | Company Name | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Planet Labs PBC | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| 2 | California Air Resources Board | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| 3 | Ginger Io, Inc. | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| 3 | Antora Energy, Inc. | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| 3 | California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| 6 | Disney Worldwide Services, Inc. | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| 6 | Gmto Corporation | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| 8 | Southern California Association of Govenrments | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 8 | Kern County Superintendent of Schools | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 10 | California Rural Indian Health Board, Inc. | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 10 | County of Monterey | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 10 | California Public Utilities Commis | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 10 | Southern California Association of Governments | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 10 | International Medical Corps | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 10 | South Coast Air Quality Management District | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 10 | Yu Learning, LLC | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 10 | City and County of San Francisco Planning Department | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 10 | Disney Human Resources Services Company | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | Superior Court of California County of Santa Cruz | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | Just Cities, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | Array Central, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | Plenary Americas USA, Ltd. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | Fresno Council of Governments | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | City of Patterson | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | California Institute for Regenerat | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | Institute for the Redesign of Learning | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | City of Palo Alto | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | Alliance of Pest Control Districts | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | Phyn, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | Done Global, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | Hinge Health, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | City of Alameda | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | Agent Assanti and Associates, PC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | Pacific Sequoia, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | Gye Zone, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | U10 Corporation | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | 5e Boron Americas, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | Kern Health Systems | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | Cal Poly Pomona Foundation, Inc. | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | Sacramento Area Council of Governm | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | City & County of San Francisco Mayor S OFC of Innovation | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | TMT International Observatory, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | County of Santa Clara-Santa Clara | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | Business Finance Capital | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | Procopio Cory Hargreaves & Savitch, LLP | 1 | 100% | 0% |