Chambana Sun

In 2024, 202 of the 206 H-1B petitions submitted by employers classified under the Educational Services industry located across Chambana Sun publication area were approved, according to data provided by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services via the H-1B Employer Data Hub.

This represents an approval rate of 98.1%, which is lower than the average in Illinois across all industries.

That year, the statewide average approval rate for H-1B petitions stood at 98.7%, slightly higher than 2023's 98%. Across the publication area, employers across all industries submitted 280 petitions during the same period, with an approval rate of 98.2%.

For comparison, the U.S. reported an average approval rate of 98% in 2024.

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. 

While the Educational Services industry led the H-1B filings with 206 petitions, representing 73.6% of all submissions in Chambana Sun publication area during 2024, the next largest contributor was the Health Care and Social Assistance industry, which accounted for 32 petitions and represented 11.4% of the total. Among petitions from employers in the Health Care and Social Assistance industry, 96.9% were approved and 3.1% were denied.

University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and Mahomet-Seymour School District with three other employers led the industry in the publication area with the highest approval rate of 100% each.

Compared to 2023, the Educational Services sector saw a 1.4% decrease in the number of H-1B petitions across Chambana Sun publication area 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	206	73.6%	98.1%	1.9%
2	Health Care and Social Assistance	32	11.4%	96.9%	3.1%
3	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	16	5.7%	100%	0%
4	Information	8	2.9%	100%	0%
4	Manufacturing	8	2.9%	100%	0%
6	Public Administration	4	1.4%	100%	0%
7	Finance and Insurance	1	0.4%	100%	0%
7	Retail Trade	1	0.4%	100%	0%
7	Construction	1	0.4%	100%	0%

Company Name	Industry	Total Petitions	% Approved	% Denied
University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign	Educational Services	197	98%	2%
Carle Health Care, Inc.	Health Care and Social Assistance	10	100%	0%
Christie Clinic, PLLC	Health Care and Social Assistance	7	100%	0%
The Methodist Medical Center of Illinois	Health Care and Social Assistance	7	85.7%	14.3%
University of Illinois at Chicago	Educational Services	7	100%	0%
Wolfram Research, Inc.	Information	5	100%	0%
The Carle Foundation	Health Care and Social Assistance	5	100%	0%
Smartz, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	4	100%	0%
Applied Pavement Technology, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	3	100%	0%
Champaign County Regional Planning	Public Administration	3	100%	0%
Obiter Research, LLC	Manufacturing	2	100%	0%
Thyssenkrupp Crankshaft Company, LLC	Manufacturing	2	100%	0%
Trova Ai, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	2	100%	0%
Habiterre, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	2	100%	0%
University of Illinois Foundation	Educational Services	2	100%	0%
Earthsense, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	2	100%	0%
Wolfram Alpha, LLC	Information	2	100%	0%
Vesuvius USA Corporation	Manufacturing	1	100%	0%
Viscofan USA, Inc.	Manufacturing	1	100%	0%
Sub4 Development Company of Colora	Construction	1	100%	0%
Yummy Future, Inc.	Manufacturing	1	100%	0%
Rantoul City Schools 137	Educational Services	1	100%	0%
New World Market	Retail Trade	1	100%	0%
Natrion, Inc.	Manufacturing	1	100%	0%
Meshare, Inc.	Information	1	100%	0%
Mahomet-Seymour School District	Educational Services	1	100%	0%
Kirby Med Center	Health Care and Social Assistance	1	100%	0%
Haran Technologies, LLC	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	1	100%	0%
Eye Wisconsin, LLC	Health Care and Social Assistance	1	100%	0%
Eres International, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	1	100%	0%
Cunningham Township	Public Administration	1	100%	0%
Carle West Physician Group, Inc.	Health Care and Social Assistance	1	100%	0%
Carle Holding Company, Inc.	Finance and Insurance	1	100%	0%
Broeren Russo Builders, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	1	100%	0%
Andrew White Dentistry, PC	Health Care and Social Assistance	1	100%	0%