This represents an approval rate of 95.5%, which is lower than the nationwide average.
In 2024, the average approval rate for H-1B petitions across the U.S. stood at 98%, slightly higher than the 97.3% recorded in 2023.
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 Educational Services industry led H-1B petition approvals in North Dakota during 2024, filing a total of 119 petitions (45.1% of all submissions) and receiving 117 approvals, resulting in an approval rate of 98.3%. The Health Care and Social Assistance industry followed, with 54 petitions (20.5% of all submissions), receiving 53 approvals and an approval rate of 98.1%.
Employers are classified under industries based on their reported operations and may be involved in multiple industries.
The North Dakota employers with the most approvals during 2024 included University of North Dakota, filing a total of 25 petitions and receiving 24 approvals, resulting in an approval rate of 96%, and North Dakota State University, which filed 23 petitions and received approvals for all of them.
Compared to 2023, North Dakota saw an 11.1% 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 Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Educational Services | 119 | 45.1% | 117 | 98.3% | 1.7% |
| 2 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 54 | 20.5% | 53 | 98.1% | 1.9% |
| 3 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 48 | 18.2% | 43 | 89.6% | 10.4% |
| 4 | Finance and Insurance | 11 | 4.2% | 9 | 81.8% | 18.2% |
| 5 | Manufacturing | 8 | 3% | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| 6 | Wholesale Trade | 5 | 1.9% | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| 7 | Information | 3 | 1.1% | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 7 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 3 | 1.1% | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 9 | Utilities | 2 | 0.8% | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 9 | Construction | 2 | 0.8% | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 11 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 1 | 0.4% | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 11 | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 1 | 0.4% | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 11 | Accommodation and Food Services | 1 | 0.4% | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 14 | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 0.4% | 0 | 0% | 100% |
| 14 | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 1 | 0.4% | 0 | 0% | 100% |
| Rank | Company Name | Industry(ies) | Total Petitions | Approved Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of North Dakota | Educational Services | 25 | 24 | 96% | 4% |
| 2 | North Dakota State University | Educational Services | 23 | 23 | 100% | 0% |
| 3 | New Town Public School District 1 | Educational Services | 18 | 17 | 94.4% | 5.6% |
| 4 | Infonero, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 15 | 13 | 86.7% | 13.3% |
| 5 | Trinity Health | Health Care and Social Assistance | 10 | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| 6 | Three Affiliated Tribes Head Start | Educational Services | 9 | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| 7 | Aldevron, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 8 | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| 7 | National Information Solutions Cooperative | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 8 | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| 9 | Altru Health System | Health Care and Social Assistance | 7 | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| 10 | White Shield School District | Educational Services | 6 | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| 10 | Standing Rock Community Grant School | Educational Services | 6 | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| 12 | Grand Forks Public Schools | Educational Services | 5 | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| 12 | Border States Industries D B a, Inc. | Wholesale Trade | 5 | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| 12 | Dunseith Public School District 1 | Educational Services | 5 | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| 12 | Cavalier County Memorial Hospital Association | Health Care and Social Assistance; Other Services (except Public Administration) | 5 | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| 16 | Bluechip Financial | Finance and Insurance | 4 | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| 16 | Tate Topa Tribal School | Educational Services | 4 | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| 18 | Doosan Bobcat North America, Inc. | Manufacturing | 3 | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 18 | Eide Bailly, LLP | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 18 | Divide County School District | Educational Services | 3 | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 18 | Innovis Health, LLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 3 | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 18 | Mercy Hospital of Devils Lake | Health Care and Social Assistance | 3 | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 18 | Mercy Medical Center | Health Care and Social Assistance | 3 | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 18 | Noridian Healthcare Solutions | Finance and Insurance | 3 | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 18 | Sheyenne Valley Special Education Unit | Educational Services | 3 | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 18 | 701X, Inc. | Information | 3 | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 27 | Lisbon Area Health Services | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 27 | Jacobson Memorial Hospital Care Center | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 27 | Northwood Deaconess Health Center | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 27 | Prosource, LLC | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 2 | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 27 | Fargo Solutions, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 27 | CHI St. Alexius Health | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 27 | Doosan Digital Innovation America, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 2 | 66.7% | 33.3% |
| 27 | CHI St. Josephs Health | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | P R Health Corporation | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Pinkerton Animal Hospital, PLLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Boson Motors, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | RDO Equipment Company | Manufacturing | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota | Finance and Insurance | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Spectra Health | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | St. Joseph Catholic School and St. M | Educational Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | St. Luke S Hospital | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Surrey Public School | Utilities | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Bismarck Public School District No 1 | Educational Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | TGU School District No 60 | Educational Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Basin Electric Power Cooperative | Utilities | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Tioga Medical Center | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Tioga Sunrise Hotel, LLC | Accommodation and Food Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Towner County Medical Center | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Allegiance Fundraising, LLC | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Twin Buttes School District 37 | Educational Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Ulteig Engineers, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Aldevron Madison, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Valley City State University | Educational Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Wanzek Construction, Inc. | Construction | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Weather Modification, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | West River Health Services | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Williston State College | Educational Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Wilmac Multidistrict Special Education Unit | Educational Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Wishek Hospital Clinic Association | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Ellendale Public School District No 40 | Educational Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Elinor Coatings, LLC | Manufacturing | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Glen Ullin Public School District 48 | Educational Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Gnomon Technology, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Good Samaritan Hospital Association | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Eight Mile School District #6 | Educational Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Ion Field Services, LLC | Construction | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Dagger Machinery Formerly Know, Inc. | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Korber Pharma, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Lidgerwood Public School District | Educational Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Cooperstown Medical Center | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Lisbon Public School District 19 | Educational Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Christian Unity Hospital, Corp. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Choice Financial Group | Finance and Insurance | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Minn-Dak Agent, LLC | Manufacturing | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Minot State University | Educational Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Mountrail Bethel Home | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | MT Pleasant School District 4 | Educational Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Ndus System Information Technology Services | Educational Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Nelson County Health System | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | CHI Oakes Hospital | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 1 | 50% | 50% |
| 35 | CH Trade, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | North Valley Area Career and Techn | Educational Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Bushel, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| 85 | Black Leg Ranch Meats, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 0 | 0% | 100% |
| 85 | Dakota West Credit Union | Finance and Insurance | 2 | 0 | 0% | 100% |
| 85 | Heilman S Performance, LLC | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 1 | 0 | 0% | 100% |
| 85 | 7cinfo Com, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 0 | 0% | 100% |