Of these, 1,231 were approved (96.9%), while 39 were denied (3.1%).
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 Kentucky during 2024, with 360 petitions (28.3% of all submissions), and an approval rate of 94.4%. Meanwhile, the Management of Companies and Enterprises industry was the second largest contributor, filing 252 petitions (19.8% of the total), with an approval rate of 99.2%.
The Kentucky employers with the most petitions during 2024 included Humana, Inc., which filed 245 petitions with an approval rate of 99.2%, V-Soft Consulting Group, Inc. with 165 petitions and an approval rate of 90.3%, and University of Kentucky, which filed 112 petitions with an approval rate of 92.9%.
Compared to 2023, the number of H-1B petitions filed in Kentucky during 2024 increased by 8%.
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 | 360 | 28.3% | 94.4% | 5.6% |
| 2 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | 252 | 19.8% | 99.2% | 0.8% |
| 3 | Educational Services | 208 | 16.4% | 95.2% | 4.8% |
| 4 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 176 | 13.9% | 98.9% | 1.1% |
| 5 | Manufacturing | 131 | 10.3% | 99.2% | 0.8% |
| 6 | Accommodation and Food Services | 44 | 3.5% | 97.7% | 2.3% |
| 7 | Finance and Insurance | 16 | 1.3% | 100% | 0% |
| 8 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 12 | 0.9% | 100% | 0% |
| 9 | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 10 | 0.8% | 80% | 20% |
| 9 | Information | 10 | 0.8% | 100% | 0% |
| 11 | Construction | 8 | 0.6% | 100% | 0% |
| 11 | Retail Trade | 8 | 0.6% | 100% | 0% |
| 13 | Wholesale Trade | 6 | 0.5% | 100% | 0% |
| 14 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 3 | 0.2% | 100% | 0% |
| 14 | Utilities | 3 | 0.2% | 100% | 0% |
| 14 | Transportation and Warehousing | 3 | 0.2% | 66.7% | 33.3% |
| 17 | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 0.1% | 100% | 0% |
| 17 | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 1 | 0.1% | 100% | 0% |
| 17 | Public Administration | 1 | 0.1% | 100% | 0% |
| Company Name | Industries | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humana, Inc. | Management of Companies and Enterprises, Finance and Insurance, Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 245 | 99.2% | 0.8% |
| V-Soft Consulting Group, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 165 | 90.3% | 9.7% |
| University of Kentucky | Educational Services | 112 | 92.9% | 7.1% |
| University of Louisville | Educational Services | 49 | 98% | 2% |
| Coolsoft, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 48 | 97.9% | 2.1% |
| Hitachi Astemo Americas, Inc. | Manufacturing | 28 | 96.4% | 3.6% |
| Knight Infotech, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 19 | 94.7% | 5.3% |
| Appalachian Regional Healthcare, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 19 | 100% | 0% |
| University of Louisville Physicians, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 17 | 100% | 0% |
| Material Handling Systems, Inc. | Manufacturing | 17 | 100% | 0% |
| Baptist Health Medical Group, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 13 | 100% | 0% |
| Yum Connect, LLC | Accommodation and Food Services | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| Uofl Health - Louisville D B a, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| Kentucky Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company | Finance and Insurance | 12 | 100% | 0% |
| Owensboro Health, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Vibrant Technician, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| UPS Worldwide Forwarding, Inc. | Transportation and Warehousing, Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Control Space Technician, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Haier US Appliance Solutions D, Inc. | Manufacturing | 11 | 100% | 0% |
| Taco Bell, Corp. | Accommodation and Food Services | 10 | 100% | 0% |
| Summit Medical Group | Health Care and Social Assistance | 10 | 90% | 10% |
| Eastern Kentucky University | Educational Services | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Western Kentucky University | Educational Services | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Trilogy Management Services, LLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| Res Care, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Parallon Revenue Cycle Services | Management of Companies and Enterprises | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| University Medical Center D B, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 7 | 85.7% | 14.3% |
| Piramal Pharma Solutions, Inc. | Manufacturing | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| Genscape, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 7 | 100% | 0% |
| KFC Corporation | Accommodation and Food Services | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Saint Joseph Health System, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Pikeville Medical Center, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 6 | 100% | 0% |
| Commonwealth Health Corporation | Health Care and Social Assistance | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Computer Services, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Confluent Health | Health Care and Social Assistance | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Parsoft, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Crestview Management, LLC | Accommodation and Food Services | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Data Intensity, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| MKS Vision Group, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Mubea North America Shared Services, Inc. | Manufacturing | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Sitek, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems, Inc. | Manufacturing | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| HTTP Holdings, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Donan Solutions, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| North American Stainless | Manufacturing | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Norton Healthcare, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Fayette County Public Schools | Educational Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Nucor Corporation Nucor Steel Brandenburg | Manufacturing, Retail Trade | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| King S Daughters Medical Specialties, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Carl Zeiss Vision, Inc. | Manufacturing | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Centre College of Kentucky | Educational Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Churchill Downs Incorporated | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Murray State University | Educational Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Work4ce, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Nanocube Technologies, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Churchill Downs Technology Initiatives Company | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| H3 Technologies, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Northern Kentucky University | Educational Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Papa Johns International, Inc. | Accommodation and Food Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Owensboro Health Medical Group, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| KV Consulting, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Cmta, Inc. | Construction, Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| VGP Holdings, LLC | Manufacturing | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| St. Claire Medical Center | Health Care and Social Assistance | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Campbellsville University, Inc. | Educational Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Prysmian Cables and Systems USA, LLC | Manufacturing | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Grayhawk, LLC | Construction | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Ross-Tarrant, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Saint Elizabeth Medical Center | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Samiteon, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Crystal Broadband Networks, Inc. | Information | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Healthtech Solutions, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Jennie Stuart Medical Center, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Phoenix Paper Wickliffe, LLC | Manufacturing | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Keeneland Association, Inc. | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 2 | 50% | 50% |
| Kentuckyone Health Medical Group D | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Ohio Valley Nephrology Associates | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Krauss Maffei Corporation | Wholesale Trade | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Lake Cumberland Physician Practices, LLC | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Lexmark International, Inc. | Manufacturing | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Lindsey Wilson College | Educational Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Louisville Water Company | Utilities | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Metro Athletic Medicine and Fitnes | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Mountain Comprehensive Health, Corp. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Mubea Precision Springs, Inc. | Manufacturing | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Mubea Tailor Rolled Blanks, LLC | Manufacturing | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Controltouch Systems | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Toyota Boshoku America, Inc. | Manufacturing | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Collis, LLC | Manufacturing | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Union College | Educational Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Cherry Bekaert Advisory, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Century Aluminum | Manufacturing | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Centralert, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Biopathogenix, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Berea College | Educational Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Bellarmine University | Educational Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Baptist Health Deaconess Medical Group, Inc. | Health Care and Social Assistance | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Bamboo Health, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Atria Management Company, LLC | Management of Companies and Enterprises | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| VR Vertical, LLC | Retail Trade | 2 | 100% | 0% |