Ted H. Kim, Associate Director Refugee, Asylum and International Operations Directorate for USCIS | https://www.naco.org/
This represents an approval rate of 97.9%, 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 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry led H-1B petition approvals in Colorado during 2024, filing a total of 1,052 petitions (38.9% of all submissions) and receiving 1,031 approvals, resulting in an approval rate of 98%. The Educational Services industry followed, with 556 petitions (20.6% of all submissions), receiving 545 approvals and an approval rate of 98%.
Employers are classified under industries based on their reported operations and may be involved in multiple industries.
The Colorado employers with the most approvals during 2024 included University of Colorado Boulder, filing a total of 228 petitions and receiving 226 approvals, resulting in an approval rate of 99.1%, and Dish Wireless, LLC, which filed 138 petitions and received 136 approvals, resulting in an approval rate of 98.6%.
Compared to 2023, Colorado saw a 4.6% 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 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1,052 | 38.9% | 1,031 | 98% | 2% |
| 2 | Educational Services | 556 | 20.6% | 545 | 98% | 2% |
| 3 | Information | 323 | 11.9% | 320 | 99.1% | 0.9% |
| 4 | Manufacturing | 220 | 8.1% | 213 | 96.8% | 3.2% |
| 5 | Finance and Insurance | 160 | 5.9% | 156 | 97.5% | 2.5% |
| 6 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 115 | 4.3% | 113 | 98.3% | 1.7% |
| 7 | Construction | 58 | 2.1% | 58 | 100% | 0% |
| 8 | Wholesale Trade | 49 | 1.8% | 45 | 91.8% | 8.2% |
| 9 | Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 30 | 1.1% | 29 | 96.7% | 3.3% |
| 10 | Retail Trade | 13 | 0.5% | 12 | 92.3% | 7.7% |
| 10 | Transportation and Warehousing | 13 | 0.5% | 12 | 92.3% | 7.7% |
| 12 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | 10 | 0.4% | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| 12 | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 10 | 0.4% | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| 14 | Utilities | 10 | 0.4% | 9 | 90% | 10% |
| 14 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 9 | 0.3% | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| 16 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 8 | 0.3% | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| 16 | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 8 | 0.3% | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| 18 | Accommodation and Food Services | 7 | 0.3% | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | Public Administration | 3 | 0.1% | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| 20 | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 0.1% | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Rank | Company Name | Industry(ies) | Total Petitions | Approved Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Colorado Boulder | Information; Educational Services | 228 | 226 | 99.1% | 0.9% |
| 2 | Dish Wireless, LLC | Information | 138 | 136 | 98.6% | 1.4% |
| 3 | Denver Public Schools District 1 | Educational Services | 113 | 110 | 97.3% | 2.7% |
| 4 | Dish Network, L L C | Information | 98 | 98 | 100% | 0% |
| 5 | Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 86 | 86 | 100% | 0% |
| 6 | Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 79 | 78 | 98.7% | 1.3% |
| 6 | Palantir Technologies, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 80 | 78 | 97.5% | 2.5% |
| 8 | Colorado State University | Educational Services | 62 | 62 | 100% | 0% |
| 9 | Western Union, LLC | Finance and Insurance | 60 | 59 | 98.3% | 1.7% |
| 10 | Arcadis U S, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 58 | 58 | 100% | 0% |
| 11 | Trimble, Inc. | Manufacturing; Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 50 | 50 | 100% | 0% |
| 12 | CSG Systems, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 38 | 37 | 97.4% | 2.6% |
| 13 | Maven Companies, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 34 | 34 | 100% | 0% |
| 14 | Object Experts, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 33 | 30 | 90.9% | 9.1% |
| 15 | Angi, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 26 | 26 | 100% | 0% |
| 15 | Arrow Electronics, Inc. | Wholesale Trade | 28 | 26 | 92.9% | 7.1% |
| 15 | Swift Beef Company a JBS USA Subsidiary | Manufacturing; Wholesale Trade; Management of Companies and Enterprises | 27 | 26 | 96.3% | 3.7% |
| 18 | Talent Clustr, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 25 | 25 | 100% | 0% |
| 18 | Rocky Mountain Institute | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 25 | 25 | 100% | 0% |
| 20 | Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. | Manufacturing | 24 | 24 | 100% | 0% |
| 21 | Apttus Corporation | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 22 | 22 | 100% | 0% |
| 21 | Galey Systems, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 22 | 22 | 100% | 0% |
| 23 | Empower Retirement, LLC | Finance and Insurance | 21 | 21 | 100% | 0% |
| 24 | Janus Henderson Investors US, LLC | Finance and Insurance | 20 | 20 | 100% | 0% |
| 25 | E2 Consulting Engineers, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 20 | 19 | 95% | 5% |
| 26 | Colorado School of Mines | Educational Services | 18 | 18 | 100% | 0% |
| 27 | University of Colorado Health | Health Care and Social Assistance | 17 | 17 | 100% | 0% |
| 27 | University of Denver | Educational Services | 18 | 17 | 94.4% | 5.6% |
| 29 | Velocity Global, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services; Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 16 | 16 | 100% | 0% |
| 29 | Einfochips, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 16 | 16 | 100% | 0% |
| 31 | Roaring Fork School District Re 1 | Educational Services | 16 | 15 | 93.8% | 6.3% |
| 31 | Datavail Corporation | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 15 | 15 | 100% | 0% |
| 33 | Metropolitan State University of Denver | Educational Services | 16 | 14 | 87.5% | 12.5% |
| 33 | Davita, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 14 | 14 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | SDH Systems, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 13 | 13 | 100% | 0% |
| 35 | Ttec Digital, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 13 | 13 | 100% | 0% |
| 37 | Flatiron Construction, Corp. | Construction | 12 | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| 37 | Xactly Corporation | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 12 | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| 37 | Immense Brains, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 13 | 12 | 92.3% | 7.7% |
| 37 | Crusoe Energy Systems, Inc. | Manufacturing; Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 12 | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| 41 | Hach Company | Manufacturing | 12 | 11 | 91.7% | 8.3% |
| 42 | Crocs, Inc. | Manufacturing; Retail Trade | 11 | 10 | 90.9% | 9.1% |
| 43 | Gates Corporation | Manufacturing | 10 | 9 | 90% | 10% |
| 43 | Ibotta, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 9 | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| 43 | Convera USA, LLC | Finance and Insurance | 10 | 9 | 90% | 10% |
| 46 | Boeing Digital Solutions D B a, Inc. | Manufacturing | 8 | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| 46 | Modivcare Solutions, LLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 8 | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| 46 | Vertafore, Inc. | Information | 8 | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| 46 | Fast Enterprises, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 8 | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| 46 | Design Workshop, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 8 | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| 46 | Outrider Technologies, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 8 | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| 46 | Mcaconnect, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 8 | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| 46 | Codefied, Inc. | Information; Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 8 | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| 46 | Newmont International Services Limited | Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 8 | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| 55 | Cobank ACB | Finance and Insurance | 8 | 7 | 87.5% | 12.5% |
| 55 | Technician Talent, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 10 | 7 | 70% | 30% |
| 55 | PCL Construction Services, Inc. | Construction | 7 | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| 55 | Global Healthcare Exchange, Inc. | Wholesale Trade | 8 | 7 | 87.5% | 12.5% |
| 55 | Evercommerce Solutions, Inc. | Information; Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 7 | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| 55 | Hyde Engineering and Consulting, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 7 | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| 55 | National Jewish Health | Health Care and Social Assistance | 7 | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| 55 | Fort Lewis College | Educational Services | 7 | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| 55 | Arkstek, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 7 | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| 55 | Prologis Management, LLC | Finance and Insurance | 7 | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| 65 | Frontier Airlines | Transportation and Warehousing | 7 | 6 | 85.7% | 14.3% |
| 65 | Agiliad, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 6 | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| 65 | Dignity Health | Health Care and Social Assistance | 6 | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| 65 | Datamanusa, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 6 | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| 65 | Aes Clean Energy Services, LLC | Utilities | 6 | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| 65 | Colorado Mesa University | Educational Services | 6 | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| 65 | Ascend Analytics, LLC | Information; Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 6 | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| 65 | PTX Trimble, LLC | Manufacturing | 6 | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| 65 | Terumo BCT, Inc. | Manufacturing | 6 | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| 65 | Avvale, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 6 | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| 65 | 6e Technologies, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 6 | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| 65 | Colorado State University Pueblo | Educational Services | 6 | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| 65 | Leprino Foods Company | Manufacturing | 6 | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| 78 | Denver Health and Hospital Authority | Health Care and Social Assistance | 5 | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| 78 | Tech9 It-Solutions, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 5 | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| 78 | Everside Health, LLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 5 | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| 78 | Specialized Loan Servicing, LLC | Finance and Insurance | 5 | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| 78 | Hensel Phelps Construction Company | Construction | 5 | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| 78 | Asec, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 5 | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| 78 | Boulder Associates Architects, PC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 5 | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| 78 | AA Technician Group, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 6 | 5 | 83.3% | 16.7% |
| 78 | University of Northern Colorado | Educational Services | 5 | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| 87 | Tifin Payroll, Inc. | Information; Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| 87 | Cubefore, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| 87 | Pandit View Software, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| 87 | Xtivia, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| 87 | Peafowl, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| 87 | Infosoft, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| 87 | Ram Info, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| 87 | Telluride School District R1 | Educational Services | 4 | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| 87 | Coalfire Systems, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| 87 | Logrhythm, Inc. | Information | 4 | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| 87 | Tolmar, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| 87 | Guild Education | Educational Services; Public Administration | 4 | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| 87 | Acompetent, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 5 | 4 | 80% | 20% |
| 87 | Opteamix, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 4 | 100% | 0% |