Tri-City Sun

In 2024, 83 of the 87 H-1B petitions submitted by employers based in the Tri-City 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 95.4%, which is lower 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 Michigan across all industries submitted 11,845 petitions during the same period, with an approval rate of 98.2%.

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 Manufacturing industry led H-1B petition approvals in the Tri-City Sun publication area during 2024, filing a total of 39 petitions (44.8% of all submissions) and receiving 38 approvals, resulting in an approval rate of 97.4%. The Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry followed, with 22 petitions (25.3% of all submissions) and an approval rate of 95.5%.

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 Nexteer Automotive Corporation with 19 petitions and all of them approved, Freudenberg Battery Power Systems, LLC with 13 petitions and 92.3% of them approved, and The Dow Chemical Company with 12 petitions filed and an approval rate of 100%.

Compared to 2023, Michigan saw a 20.3% 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	Manufacturing	39	44.8%	97.4%	2.6%
2	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	22	25.3%	95.5%	4.5%
3	Health Care and Social Assistance	18	20.7%	94.4%	5.6%
4	Educational Services	2	2.3%	100%	0%
4	Wholesale Trade	2	2.3%	50%	50%
6	Construction	1	1.1%	100%	0%
6	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	1	1.1%	100%	0%
6	Public Administration	1	1.1%	100%	0%
6	Accommodation and Food Services	1	1.1%	100%	0%

Company Name	Industry	Total Petitions	% Approved	% Denied
Nexteer Automotive Corporation	Manufacturing	19	100%	0%
Freudenberg Battery Power Systems, LLC	Manufacturing	13	92.3%	7.7%
The Dow Chemical Company	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	12	100%	0%
Ascension St. Mary S Hospital	Health Care and Social Assistance	8	100%	0%
Samhithmed Pro, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	4	75%	25%
Means Industries, Inc.	Manufacturing	4	100%	0%
CMU Medical Education Partners	Health Care and Social Assistance	2	100%	0%
Covenant Medical Center D B a, Inc.	Health Care and Social Assistance	2	100%	0%
Dow Silicones Corporation	Manufacturing	2	100%	0%
Lumen It Services, LLC	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	2	100%	0%
Northwood University	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	2	100%	0%
Capstoneusa, LLC	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	1	100%	0%
SK Siltron Civil Services, LLC	Manufacturing	1	100%	0%
Satnam Medical, PLLC	Health Care and Social Assistance	1	0%	100%
Caravan Facilities Management, LLC	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	1	100%	0%
S and S Industrial Surplus, LLC	Wholesale Trade	1	100%	0%
Queen Max Services, Inc.	Wholesale Trade	1	0%	100%
PMK Enterprises, Inc.	Accommodation and Food Services	1	100%	0%
Board of Education Midland County	Educational Services	1	100%	0%
Ming Chuan University	Educational Services	1	100%	0%
Midmichigan Obstetrics and Gynecology, P C	Health Care and Social Assistance	1	100%	0%
Michigan Health Clinics	Health Care and Social Assistance	1	100%	0%
City of MT Pleasant	Public Administration	1	100%	0%
Isabella Citizens for Health, Inc.	Health Care and Social Assistance	1	100%	0%
Greater Midland Community Centers	Health Care and Social Assistance	1	100%	0%
Great Lakes Bay Health Centers	Health Care and Social Assistance	1	100%	0%
Boxes R US, Inc.	Construction	1	100%	0%
D and M Site, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	1	100%	0%