Of these, 1,420 were approved (98.2%), while 26 were denied (1.8%).
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 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry led the H-1B filings in District of Columbia during 2024, with 554 petitions (38.3% of all submissions), and an approval rate of 98.7%. Meanwhile, the Educational Services industry was the second largest contributor, filing 346 petitions (23.9% of the total), with an approval rate of 98.8%.
The District of Columbia employers with the most petitions during 2024 included District of Columbia Public School, which filed 118 petitions with an approval rate of 100%, Georgetown University with 68 petitions and an approval rate of 98.5%, and Children S National Medical Center, which filed 52 petitions with an approval rate of 98.1%.
Compared to 2023, the number of H-1B petitions filed in District of Columbia during 2024 decreased by 0.9%.
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 | 554 | 38.3% | 98.7% | 1.3% |
| 2 | Educational Services | 346 | 23.9% | 98.8% | 1.2% |
| 3 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 124 | 8.6% | 99.2% | 0.8% |
| 4 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 105 | 7.3% | 95.2% | 4.8% |
| 5 | Information | 84 | 5.8% | 96.4% | 3.6% |
| 6 | Finance and Insurance | 71 | 4.9% | 97.2% | 2.8% |
| 7 | Public Administration | 34 | 2.4% | 100% | 0% |
| 8 | Transportation and Warehousing | 24 | 1.7% | 100% | 0% |
| 9 | Manufacturing | 22 | 1.5% | 95.5% | 4.5% |
| 10 | Construction | 20 | 1.4% | 100% | 0% |
| 11 | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 16 | 1.1% | 100% | 0% |
| 12 | Accommodation and Food Services | 9 | 0.6% | 88.9% | 11.1% |
| 13 | Wholesale Trade | 8 | 0.6% | 100% | 0% |
| 14 | Utilities | 6 | 0.4% | 100% | 0% |
| 15 | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 5 | 0.3% | 100% | 0% |
| 16 | Retail Trade | 1 | 0.1% | 0% | 100% |
| Company Name | Industries | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia Public School | Educational Services, Health Care and Social Assistance, Public Administration | 118 | 100% | 0% |
| Georgetown University | Educational Services | 68 | 98.5% | 1.5% |
| Children S National Medical Center | Health Care and Social Assistance | 52 | 98.1% | 1.9% |
| National Railroad Passenger Corporation | Transportation and Warehousing, Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 44 | 100% | 0% |
| Costar Realty Information, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 34 | 97.1% | 2.9% |
| Fannie Mae | Finance and Insurance | 33 | 97% | 3% |
| Eab Global, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 32 | 96.9% | 3.1% |
| Howard University | Educational Services, Health Care and Social Assistance | 30 | 96.7% | 3.3% |
| The Catholic University of America | Educational Services | 27 | 100% | 0% |
| The George Washington University | Educational Services | 25 | 100% | 0% |
| Radio Free Asia | Information | 24 | 95.8% | 4.2% |
| Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. | Other Services (except Public Administration), Finance and Insurance | 24 | 95.8% | 4.2% |
| Mayer Brown, LLP | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 21 | 100% | 0% |
| WP Company, LLC | Information | 20 | 100% | 0% |
| Atlantic Council of the United STA | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 16 | 87.5% | 12.5% |
| The Carlyle Group Employee Company, LLC | Finance and Insurance | 14 | 100% | 0% |
| Bates White, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 14 | 100% | 0% |
| American University | Educational Services | 14 | 100% | 0% |
| Covington and Burling, LLP | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| Center for Strategic and International Studies | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| Medical Faculty Associates, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| Mapbox, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Gallaudet University | Educational Services | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Cambium Assessment, Inc. | Educational Services | 11 | 90.9% | 9.1% |
| Eastbanc Technologies, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| World Wildlife Fund US | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Carnegie Institution for Science | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Icma Retirement, Corp. | Finance and Insurance | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Smithsonian Institution | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Bain and Company DC, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Axon Enterprise, Inc. | Manufacturing | 9 | 88.9% | 11.1% |
| United Nations Foundation, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services, Other Services (except Public Administration) | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Hogan Lovells US, LLP | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Studios Architecture | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 8 | 87.5% | 12.5% |
| Afiniti, Inc. | Information | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| DC Bilingual Public Charter School | Educational Services | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Juul Labs, Inc. | Wholesale Trade | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| National Rehabilitation Hospital, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Cato Institute | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| District of Columbia International School | Educational Services | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| American Association of Retired Persons | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Association of American Medical Colleges | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Universities Space Research Association | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| The Brookings Institution | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| BPM Bi, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Vanda Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Manufacturing | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| The International Council on Clean Transportation | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| MCN Build, Inc. | Construction | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Global Citizens Public Charter School | Educational Services | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Inter American Dialogue | Public Administration | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett and Dunner, LLP | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| The American Chemical Society | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Washington International School | Educational Services | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Lehman Smith and Mcleish, PLLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Han Group, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| World Resources Institute | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| National Public Radio, Inc. | Information | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Page Southerland Page, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Danaher Corporation | Manufacturing | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Sumeru, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Peer Consultants, P C | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Cssi, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Elsie Whitlow Stokes CFPCS | Educational Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Incapsulate, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| PSB Insights, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Dliflc | Public Administration | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Systemsoft, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Peter G Peterson Institute for International Economics | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Board of Governors of the FRS | Public Administration | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Sol Systems, LLC | Utilities | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| British Broadcasting Corporation | Information | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| International Research and Exchanges Board | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Vertex Analytics, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Universal Service Administrative Company | Public Administration | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Medstar Georgetown Medical Center, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 4 | 75% | 25% |
| Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School | Educational Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Steptoe and Johnson, LLP | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Ains, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Miller and Chevalier Chartered | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Edgeworth Economics, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Crowell and Moring, LLP | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Bezos Earth Fund, LLC | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Mark G Anderson Consultants, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Beveridge and Diamond, PC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Datanet Systems Corporation | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| The Henry L Stimson Center | Public Administration | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Institute of International Finance | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Multi State Accounting Service T/A Moy Cheung and Company, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 66.7% | 33.3% |
| Haskoningdhv USA, Inc. | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Avid Systems, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Amida Technology Solutions, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Washington Hospital Center Corporation | Health Care and Social Assistance | 3 | 66.7% | 33.3% |
| Friendship Public Charter School | Educational Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Protec Construction, Inc. | Construction | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Mckissack and Mckissack, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Japan International Transport and Tourism Institute USA | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Three Crowns US, LLP | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Akin Gump Strauss Hauer and Feld L | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Corporation of the Washington Lati | Educational Services | 3 | 66.7% | 33.3% |
| Grain Management, LLC | Finance and Insurance | 3 | 100% | 0% |