Ted H. Kim, Associate Director Refugee, Asylum and International Operations Directorate for USCIS | https://www.naco.org/
Of these, 1,065 were approved (98.3%), while 18 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 Educational Services industry led the H-1B filings in Louisiana during 2024, with 413 petitions (38.1% of all submissions), and an approval rate of 98.1%. Meanwhile, the Health Care and Social Assistance industry was the second largest contributor, filing 181 petitions (16.7% of the total), with an approval rate of 98.3%.
The Louisiana employer that made the most petitions during 2024 was Louisiana State University and a and M College, with 95 petitions.
Compared to 2023, the number of H-1B petitions filed in Louisiana during 2024 increased by 6.2%.
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 | Educational Services | 413 | 38.1% | 98.1% | 1.9% |
| 2 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 181 | 16.7% | 98.3% | 1.7% |
| 3 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 114 | 10.5% | 97.4% | 2.6% |
| 4 | Information | 104 | 9.6% | 100% | 0% |
| 5 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 70 | 6.5% | 100% | 0% |
| 5 | Finance and Insurance | 70 | 6.5% | 98.6% | 1.4% |
| 7 | Manufacturing | 39 | 3.6% | 97.4% | 2.6% |
| 8 | Utilities | 20 | 1.8% | 100% | 0% |
| 9 | Public Administration | 10 | 0.9% | 100% | 0% |
| 10 | Transportation and Warehousing | 8 | 0.7% | 100% | 0% |
| 11 | Construction | 7 | 0.6% | 100% | 0% |
| 11 | Retail Trade | 7 | 0.6% | 85.7% | 14.3% |
| 13 | Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 5 | 0.5% | 100% | 0% |
| 13 | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 5 | 0.5% | 80% | 20% |
| 15 | Wholesale Trade | 4 | 0.4% | 100% | 0% |
| 16 | Accommodation and Food Services | 3 | 0.3% | 100% | 0% |
| 17 | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 1 | 0.1% | 100% | 0% |
| 17 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 1 | 0.1% | 100% | 0% |
| 17 | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 0.1% | 100% | 0% |
| Company Name | Industries | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana State University and a and M College | Information, Educational Services | 95 | 97.9% | 2.1% |
| Ochsner Clinic Foundation | Health Care and Social Assistance | 95 | 97.9% | 2.1% |
| Tulane University | Educational Services | 85 | 98.8% | 1.2% |
| LSU Health Sciences Center at Shreveport | Educational Services | 68 | 98.5% | 1.5% |
| National Hospitalist Services, PC | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services, Health Care and Social Assistance | 35 | 100% | 0% |
| Republic Finance, LLC | Finance and Insurance | 28 | 100% | 0% |
| Qwest Corporation | Information | 27 | 100% | 0% |
| LSU Health Sciences Center | Educational Services | 27 | 96.3% | 3.7% |
| Hospitalist and Emergency Services of Texas PA | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services, Health Care and Social Assistance | 26 | 100% | 0% |
| First Horizon Bank | Finance and Insurance | 25 | 100% | 0% |
| Level 3 Communications, LLC | Information | 24 | 100% | 0% |
| Centurylink Communications, LLC | Information | 18 | 100% | 0% |
| Lumen Technologies Service Group, LLC | Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction, Information | 17 | 100% | 0% |
| University of Louisiana at Lafayette | Educational Services | 16 | 100% | 0% |
| Entergy Services, LLC | Utilities | 15 | 100% | 0% |
| Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 13 | 100% | 0% |
| Willis Knighton Medical Center, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 13 | 92.3% | 7.7% |
| Intralox, LLC | Manufacturing | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| Amedisys Holding, LLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Cipherqore Solutions, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| University of Louisiana at Monroe | Educational Services | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Madison Parish School Board | Educational Services | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Xavier University of Louisiana | Educational Services | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Ecole Bilingue DE LA Nouvelle Orleans | Educational Services | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Louisiana Technician University | Educational Services | 7 | 85.7% | 14.3% |
| East Baton Rouge Parish School Board | Educational Services | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Globalstar, Inc. | Information | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Lycee Francais DE LA Nouvelle Orleans, Inc. | Educational Services | 6 | 83.3% | 16.7% |
| Morehouse Parish School Board | Educational Services | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| The Baton Rouge Clinic AMC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Infosytech Solutions, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Seal Consulting, Inc. | Information | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Technician Rakers, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Cleco Support Group, LLC | Utilities | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Louisiana Department of Education | Public Administration | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Cint USA, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Louisiana Health Service and Indemnity Company | Finance and Insurance | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Southeastern Louisiana University | Educational Services | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Nicholls State University | Educational Services | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Calcasieu Parish School Board | Educational Services | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Gordon Sales, Inc. | Manufacturing | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| South Louisiana Medical Associates | Health Care and Social Assistance | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Ampirical Services, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Hynes Charter School Corporation | Educational Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Emergency Care Management, LLC | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| International School of Louisiana | Educational Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Stuller, Inc. | Manufacturing | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Tai Engineers, LLC | Information, Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Loyola University New Orleans | Educational Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Cardiovascular Institute of the South a Professional Medical Corporation | Health Care and Social Assistance | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Southern University and a and M College | Educational Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Aptim Environmental and Infrastructure, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Southwest Louisiana Hospital Association, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Emergent Talent, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Louisiana Christian University | Educational Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Pan American Life Insurance Company | Finance and Insurance | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Opelousas General Hospital Authori | Health Care and Social Assistance | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Ochsner LSU Health System of North Louisiana | Health Care and Social Assistance | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| East Carroll Parish School Board | Educational Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Pelican Energy Consultants, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 33.3% | 66.7% |
| AFS Logistics, LLC | Transportation and Warehousing | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Jefferson Parish Schools | Educational Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Evangeline Parish School Board | Educational Services | 3 | 66.7% | 33.3% |
| Steam and Process Repairs, Inc. | Construction | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Lafayette Parish School System | Educational Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Crescent Bank | Finance and Insurance | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Delval Flow Controls USA, LLC | Manufacturing | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Advantage Capital Corporation | Finance and Insurance | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Hospitalist Services of Georgia, PC | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Hospitalist Services of Arkansas P | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Hammond Area Recreation District 1 | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 2 | 50% | 50% |
| Northwestem State University of Louisiana | Educational Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Mcneese State University | Educational Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Neuro Care of Louisiana, LLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Clinics LLC, M.D. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Mobiloans, LLC | Finance and Insurance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| MMR Constructors, Inc. | Construction, Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Konane Solutions, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Lafayette Health Ventures, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Radiology Associates of Swla, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Landmark Management Services, LLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Methanex USA Services, LLC | Manufacturing | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| St. Helena Parish School District | Educational Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Diversified Well Logging | Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Dillard University | Educational Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Betaflix, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| The Integration Group of Americas | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| St. Martin Parish School Board | Educational Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| The Water Institute of the Gulf | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Southern Integrated Solutions and | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Fernandes Maritime Consultants, LLC | Transportation and Warehousing | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Techkuber, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 50% | 50% |
| Centurylink Management Company, LLC | Information | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| University of New Orleans | Educational Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Tangipahoa Parish School System | Educational Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Ashan Enterprises, LLC | Retail Trade | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| US Forensic, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Children S Hospital | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Swiftships, LLC | Wholesale Trade | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| 360insights USA, Ltd. | Information, Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |