Chapel Hill Review

Employers classified under the Manufacturing industry based within the Chapel Hill Review publication area, submitted four H-1B petitions during 2024, according to data provided by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services via the H-1B Employer Data Hub. All of these petitions were approved.

Employers are classified under industries based on their reported operations and may be involved in multiple industries.

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 average approval rate for H-1B petitions across the United States in 2024 stood at 98%, slightly higher than 2023's 97.3%. Locally, employers across all industries located within the Chapel Hill Review publication area submitted 183 petitions during the same period, achieving an approval rate of 99.5%.

While the Educational Services industry led the H-1B filings with 112 petitions, representing 61.2% of all submissions in the Chapel Hill Review publication area during 2024, the next largest contributor was the Finance and Insurance industry, which accounted for 41 petitions and represented 22.4% of the total. Among petitions from employers in the Finance and Insurance industry, all were approved.

In 2024, the Chapel Hill Review publication area employer with the most petitions categorized under the Manufacturing sector was AKG North American Operations, Inc., which filed two petitions with an approval rate of 100%.

Compared to 2023, the Manufacturing sector in the Chapel Hill Review publication area saw a 20% decrease 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	Educational Services	112	61.2%	100%	0%
2	Finance and Insurance	41	22.4%	100%	0%
3	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	10	5.5%	90%	10%
4	Other Services (except Public Administration)	6	3.3%	100%	0%
5	Manufacturing	4	2.2%	100%	0%
6	Health Care and Social Assistance	2	1.1%	100%	0%
7	Construction	1	0.5%	100%	0%
7	Information	1	0.5%	100%	0%
7	Retail Trade	1	0.5%	100%	0%
7	Management of Companies and Enterprises	1	0.5%	100%	0%
7	Public Administration	1	0.5%	100%	0%

Company Name	Industries	Total Petitions	% Approved	% Denied
University of North Carolina at CH	Educational Services	100	100%	0%
NC Health Affiliates, LLC	Finance and Insurance	37	100%	0%
American Board of Pediatrics	Other Services (except Public Administration)	6	100%	0%
Chapel Hill - Carrboro City School	Educational Services	6	100%	0%
Prosquire, LLC	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	5	100%	0%
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Educational Services	4	100%	0%
QMS Capital Management LP	Finance and Insurance	3	100%	0%
AKG North American Operations, Inc.	Manufacturing	2	100%	0%
Sportsmedia Technology Corporation	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services, Management of Companies and Enterprises	2	100%	0%
Walter Kidde Portable Equipment, Inc.	Public Administration	1	100%	0%
Vidant Medical Group D B a Ecu, LLC	Health Care and Social Assistance	1	100%	0%
Szostak Design, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	1	100%	0%
Summit Design and Engineering Services, PLLC	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	1	100%	0%
Pinewoods Montessori School Corporation	Educational Services	1	100%	0%
Piedmont Health Services, Inc.	Health Care and Social Assistance	1	100%	0%
PHE, Inc.	Retail Trade	1	100%	0%
North Carolina Central University	Educational Services	1	100%	0%
NC School Science and Mathematics	Educational Services	1	100%	0%
International Montessori School, Inc.	Educational Services	1	100%	0%
IBM Corporation	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	1	100%	0%
Davinci Education, Inc.	Information	1	100%	0%
Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools	Educational Services	1	100%	0%
Botbuilt, Inc.	Construction	1	100%	0%
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North CA	Finance and Insurance	1	100%	0%
Alpha Nano Technician, LLC	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	1	0%	100%
AKG of America, Inc.	Manufacturing	1	100%	0%
AKG North America, Inc.	Manufacturing	1	100%	0%