Of these, 4,649 were approved (98.3%), while 78 were denied (1.7%).
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.
For comparison, the average approval rate for H-1B petitions across the United States in 2024 stood at 98%, slightly higher than the 97.3% recorded in 2023.
The Manufacturing industry led the H-1B filings in Tennessee during 2024, with 1,038 petitions (22% of all submissions), and an approval rate of 97.9%. Meanwhile, the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry was the second largest contributor, filing 997 petitions (21.1% of the total), with an approval rate of 97.3%.
The Tennessee employers with the most petitions during 2024 included Cummins, Inc., which filed 718 petitions with an approval rate of 97.4%, UT Battelle ORNL, LLC with 231 petitions and an approval rate of 99.6%, and St. Jude Children S Research Hospital, which filed 228 petitions with an approval rate of 99.6%.
Compared to 2023, the number of H-1B petitions filed in Tennessee during 2024 increased by 3.2%.
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 | Manufacturing | 1,038 | 22% | 97.9% | 2.1% |
| 2 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 997 | 21.1% | 97.3% | 2.7% |
| 3 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 827 | 17.5% | 98.8% | 1.2% |
| 4 | Finance and Insurance | 556 | 11.8% | 99.8% | 0.2% |
| 5 | Educational Services | 375 | 7.9% | 98.7% | 1.3% |
| 6 | Transportation and Warehousing | 320 | 6.8% | 99.1% | 0.9% |
| 7 | Retail Trade | 179 | 3.8% | 100% | 0% |
| 8 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | 131 | 2.8% | 97.7% | 2.3% |
| 9 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 100 | 2.1% | 96% | 4% |
| 10 | Wholesale Trade | 47 | 1% | 100% | 0% |
| 11 | Information | 44 | 0.9% | 100% | 0% |
| 12 | Public Administration | 14 | 0.3% | 100% | 0% |
| 13 | Construction | 9 | 0.2% | 100% | 0% |
| 14 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 8 | 0.2% | 87.5% | 12.5% |
| 15 | Accommodation and Food Services | 5 | 0.1% | 100% | 0% |
| 16 | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 4 | 0.1% | 100% | 0% |
| 16 | Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 4 | 0.1% | 100% | 0% |
| 18 | Utilities | 3 | 0.1% | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 2 | 0% | 100% | 0% |
| 19 | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 2 | 0% | 50% | 50% |
| Company Name | Industries | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cummins, Inc. | Manufacturing | 718 | 97.4% | 2.6% |
| UT Battelle ORNL, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 231 | 99.6% | 0.4% |
| St. Jude Children S Research Hospital | Health Care and Social Assistance | 228 | 99.6% | 0.4% |
| UBS Business Solutions US, LLC | Finance and Insurance | 225 | 100% | 0% |
| The University of Tennessee | Educational Services | 176 | 98.9% | 1.1% |
| Fedex Corporate Services, Inc. | Transportation and Warehousing, Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 169 | 99.4% | 0.6% |
| HCA Management Services LP | Finance and Insurance, Management of Companies and Enterprises, Health Care and Social Assistance | 125 | 97.6% | 2.4% |
| Federal Express Corporation | Transportation and Warehousing | 105 | 99% | 1% |
| Asurion, LLC | Finance and Insurance | 91 | 100% | 0% |
| Vanderbilt University | Educational Services | 81 | 98.8% | 1.2% |
| Fedex Dataworks, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 70 | 97.1% | 2.9% |
| Harvey Nash | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 69 | 97.1% | 2.9% |
| Guardian Healthcare Providers, Inc. | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 62 | 93.5% | 6.5% |
| Autozone, Inc. | Retail Trade | 61 | 100% | 0% |
| Alliancebernstein L P | Finance and Insurance | 59 | 100% | 0% |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Health Care and Social Assistance | 58 | 100% | 0% |
| Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of CA, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 52 | 94.2% | 5.8% |
| Tractor Supply Company | Retail Trade | 45 | 100% | 0% |
| Cummins Emission Solutions, Inc. | Manufacturing | 41 | 95.1% | 4.9% |
| UBS Securities, LLC | Finance and Insurance | 39 | 100% | 0% |
| Pilot Travel Centers, LLC | Retail Trade, Other Services (except Public Administration) | 38 | 100% | 0% |
| Bluecross Blueshield of Tennessee, Inc. | Finance and Insurance | 36 | 100% | 0% |
| Sai Technologies, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 35 | 97.1% | 2.9% |
| Jeevan Technologies, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 30 | 96.7% | 3.3% |
| Smith and Nephew, Inc. | Manufacturing | 30 | 100% | 0% |
| Evicore Healthcare MSI, LLC | Finance and Insurance, Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 30 | 96.7% | 3.3% |
| Davita, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 29 | 100% | 0% |
| Hospital Physician Services Southeast, PC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 28 | 100% | 0% |
| Geodis Logistics, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 28 | 100% | 0% |
| MI Softech, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 27 | 96.3% | 3.7% |
| The University of Memphis | Educational Services | 27 | 100% | 0% |
| Cummins Filtration, Inc. | Manufacturing | 26 | 96.2% | 3.8% |
| Moore Infotech, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 24 | 100% | 0% |
| Dollar General Corporation | Retail Trade | 24 | 100% | 0% |
| Healthstream, Inc. | Information | 23 | 100% | 0% |
| Fedex Freight, Inc. | Transportation and Warehousing | 23 | 100% | 0% |
| Specialist Resources Global, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 23 | 100% | 0% |
| Unum Group | Finance and Insurance | 22 | 100% | 0% |
| Shelby County Schools | Educational Services | 19 | 100% | 0% |
| Southeastern Physician Services, PC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 19 | 100% | 0% |
| West Tennessee Healthcare | Health Care and Social Assistance | 18 | 94.4% | 5.6% |
| South Sound Inpatient Physicians, PLLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 18 | 100% | 0% |
| Nissan North America, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 17 | 100% | 0% |
| Conch Technologies, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 17 | 76.5% | 23.5% |
| VBJ Technician, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 16 | 100% | 0% |
| Alsac St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 15 | 100% | 0% |
| Sound Physicians of Illinois D, LLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 15 | 100% | 0% |
| Eastman Chemical Company | Manufacturing | 14 | 100% | 0% |
| International Paper | Manufacturing | 14 | 100% | 0% |
| Southeastern Intensivist Services, PC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 14 | 100% | 0% |
| Bricks It Solutions, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 14 | 92.9% | 7.1% |
| UBS Financial Services, Inc. | Finance and Insurance | 13 | 100% | 0% |
| UT Le Bonheur Pediatric Specialists, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 13 | 100% | 0% |
| Spartan Solutions | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 13 | 100% | 0% |
| Marshall Technologies, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 12 | 83.3% | 16.7% |
| Kenco Management Services, LLC | Transportation and Warehousing | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| Blossom Technician, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 12 | 41.7% | 58.3% |
| Hospital Medicine Services of TN L | Health Care and Social Assistance | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| Quanta Manufacturing Nashville, LLC | Manufacturing | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| Hospital Medicine Associates, LLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Meritor Heavy Vehicle Systems, LLC | Manufacturing, Wholesale Trade | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Revance Therapeutics, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Sedgwick Claims Management Services, Inc. | Finance and Insurance | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| The Heil Company | Manufacturing | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Cogent Med Care, P C | Health Care and Social Assistance | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Verana Health, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Cogent Healthcare of Iowa, P C | Health Care and Social Assistance | 10 | 90% | 10% |
| Gia Technologies, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Hospital Medicine Services of FL L | Health Care and Social Assistance | 10 | 90% | 10% |
| Hospital Medicine Services of NH L | Health Care and Social Assistance | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Inpatient Specialists of California, P C | Educational Services, Health Care and Social Assistance | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Meritor Electric Vehicles, LLC | Manufacturing | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| August Bioservices, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| NY Systems, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Simaxive Technologies, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 10 | 90% | 10% |
| American Home Shield Corporation | Finance and Insurance | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Zreya Technician, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Fedex Trade Networks Transport and Brokerage, Inc. | Transportation and Warehousing | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Envision Physician Services, LLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Middle Tennessee State University | Educational Services | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| SVS Technologies Limited | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| UT Regional One Physicians, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| 3avenir, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Ameya Infotech, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Arkana Infotech, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 8 | 75% | 25% |
| Specialitycare, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services, Health Care and Social Assistance | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| SVS Technologies Limited Duns 079287817 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Syntage Technician, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Cogent Healthcare of Georgia D, P C | Health Care and Social Assistance | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Huf North America Automotive Parts Manufacturing, Corp. | Manufacturing | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| ABB Installation Products, Inc. | Wholesale Trade | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Vaco, LLC | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| East Tennessee State University | Educational Services | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Akzo Nobel Coatings, Inc. | Manufacturing | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Memphis Light Gas and Water MLGW | Public Administration | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Neotek Solutions, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Tror, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Unique Key Resources, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Memphis School of Excellence | Educational Services | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Delek US Energy, Inc. | Manufacturing | 6 | 100% | 0% |