Ted H. Kim, Associate Director Refugee, Asylum and International Operations Directorate for USCIS | https://www.naco.org/
Ted H. Kim, Associate Director Refugee, Asylum and International Operations Directorate for USCIS | https://www.naco.org/
This represents an approval rate of 98.3%, which is higher than the nationwide average.
That year, the average approval rate for H-1B petitions across the U.S. stood at 98%, slightly higher than the 97.3% recorded in 2023. Statewide, employers in Minnesota across all industries submitted 4,583 petitions during the same period, with an approval rate of 98.6%.
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 Retail Trade industry led H-1B petition approvals in the Dakota Times publication area during 2024, filing a total of 127 petitions (35.9% of all submissions) and receiving approvals for all of them. The Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry followed, with 78 petitions (22% of all submissions) and an approval rate of 94.9%.
Employers are classified under industries based on their reported operations and may be involved in multiple industries.
The employers that filed the most petitions in the area during 2024 included Best Buy Company, Inc. with 132 petitions and all of them approved, CHS, Inc. with 32 petitions and all of them approved, and Thomson Reuters Services, Inc. with 20 petitions filed and an approval rate of 100%.
Compared to 2023, Minnesota saw a 10.5% increase 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 | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Retail Trade | 127 | 35.9% | 100% | 0% |
| 2 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 78 | 22% | 94.9% | 5.1% |
| 3 | Wholesale Trade | 41 | 11.6% | 100% | 0% |
| 4 | Educational Services | 38 | 10.7% | 100% | 0% |
| 5 | Information | 26 | 7.3% | 96.2% | 3.8% |
| 6 | Manufacturing | 16 | 4.5% | 100% | 0% |
| 7 | Health Care and Social Assistance | 5 | 1.4% | 100% | 0% |
| 8 | Finance and Insurance | 4 | 1.1% | 100% | 0% |
| 9 | Construction | 3 | 0.8% | 100% | 0% |
| 10 | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 2 | 0.6% | 100% | 0% |
| 10 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 2 | 0.6% | 50% | 50% |
| 12 | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 0.3% | 100% | 0% |
| Company Name | Industries | Total Petitions | % Approved | % Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best Buy Company, Inc. | Retail Trade | 132 | 100% | 0% |
| CHS, Inc. | Wholesale Trade | 32 | 100% | 0% |
| Thomson Reuters Services, Inc. | Information | 20 | 100% | 0% |
| Techvision Company | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 19 | 94.7% | 5.3% |
| Southwest Metro Intermediate District 288 | Educational Services | 17 | 100% | 0% |
| Dwaith Infotech, Inc. | Information, Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 9 | 88.9% | 11.1% |
| Itprofound, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Oasys Technologies, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Intermediate School District 917 D | Educational Services | 9 | 100% | 0% |
| Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School Dis | Educational Services | 8 | 100% | 0% |
| G Sol, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 7 | 85.7% | 14.3% |
| Patterson Companies, Inc. | Wholesale Trade | 5 | 100% | 0% |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota | Finance and Insurance | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Prime Therapeutics, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Lovingcare Nursing and Homecare | Health Care and Social Assistance | 4 | 100% | 0% |
| Cannon Valley Special Education Company | Educational Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Claritytek, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Tecon Solutions, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Symbiosis Consulting Services, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 3 | 100% | 0% |
| Sage Electrochromics, Inc. | Manufacturing | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Rahr Corporation | Manufacturing | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Nicolette It Services, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Pointwest Technologies US, Corp. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Global Intellectuals, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Ames Construction, Inc. | Construction | 2 | 100% | 0% |
| Cadan Corporation | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2 | 50% | 50% |
| West Side Community Health Service | Health Care and Social Assistance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Vocxi Health, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Vivaquant, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Progressive Individual Resources | Information | 1 | 0% | 100% |
| Prudent Accountants, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| The Imagine Group, LLC | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Rabon Serivces Group, LLC | Retail Trade | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Reconserve of MN, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| RSVP and ACT, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% | |
| Tena Companies, Inc. | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Sanimax USA, LLC | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Sunlight Insurance Holdings, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Sigma Enterprises, LLC | Retail Trade | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| SJ Computers, LLC | 1 | 100% | 0% | |
| St. Johns Lutheran Church | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 1 | 0% | 100% |
| Solar Informatics, Inc. | Information | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Academy of Holy Angels | Educational Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Alevar Technologies, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Beckhoff Automation, LLC | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Beckman Coulter, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Bethel University | Educational Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Castrejon, Inc. | Construction | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Consulting Engineers Group, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| DTN, LLC | Information | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Elite Infosystems, Inc. | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Entrust Corporation | Information | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Faribault Foods, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Force America, Inc. | Wholesale Trade | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Ironwood Electronics, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| KGP Telecommunications, LLC | Wholesale Trade | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Lake Region Manufacturing D B, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Mano Engineering, LLC | Wholesale Trade | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Master Builder Solutions Constructions Systems US, LLC | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Mercury Minnesota, Inc. | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Midwestgirg Property Management, LLC | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Minnesota Perinatal Organization | Other Services (except Public Administration) | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Mom Brands Company, LLC | Manufacturing | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Norsvin USA, LLC | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Northern Power Products, Inc. | Wholesale Trade | 1 | 100% | 0% |
| Nystrom and Associates, Ltd. | Finance and Insurance | 1 | 100% | 0% |
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