Sunshine Sentinel

Employers classified under the Other Services (except Public Administration) industry based in Florida submitted 64 H-1B petitions during 2024, according to data provided by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services via the H-1B Employer Data Hub.

Of these, 62 were approved (96.9%), while two were denied (3.1%).

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%, higher than 2023's 97.3%. Statewide, Florida employers across all industries submitted 9,692 petitions during the same period, achieving an approval rate of 97.1%.

The Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry led the H-1B filings in Florida during 2024, with 4,711 petitions (48.6% of all submissions), and an approval rate of 95.8%. Meanwhile, the Educational Services industry was the second largest contributor, filing 951 petitions (9.8% of the total), with an approval rate of 98.8%.

The Florida employers which made the most petitions in the Other Services (except Public Administration) sector during 2024 included Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc. with 12 petitions and American Cancer Society, Inc. with five petitions.

Compared to 2023, the Other Services (except Public Administration) sector in Florida saw an 18.5% 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	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	4,711	48.6%	95.8%	4.2%
2	Educational Services	951	9.8%	98.8%	1.2%
3	Health Care and Social Assistance	800	8.3%	98.8%	1.3%
4	Finance and Insurance	683	7.1%	99.3%	0.7%
5	Manufacturing	545	5.6%	98.7%	1.3%
6	Retail Trade	371	3.8%	98.9%	1.1%
7	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	343	3.5%	94.5%	5.5%
8	Information	242	2.5%	96.3%	3.7%
9	Construction	210	2.2%	99.1%	1%
10	Wholesale Trade	196	2%	98.5%	1.5%
11	Transportation and Warehousing	137	1.4%	95.6%	4.4%
12	Management of Companies and Enterprises	128	1.3%	99.2%	0.8%
13	Real Estate and Rental and Leasing	98	1%	99%	1%
14	Utilities	81	0.8%	98.8%	1.2%
15	Accommodation and Food Services	72	0.7%	95.8%	4.2%
16	Other Services (except Public Administration)	64	0.7%	96.9%	3.1%
17	Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	34	0.4%	97.1%	2.9%
18	Public Administration	12	0.1%	100%	0%
19	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	9	0.1%	100%	0%
20	Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction	5	0.1%	100%	0%

Rank	Company Name	Total Petitions	% Approved	% Denied
1	Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.	12	100%	0%
2	American Cancer Society, Inc.	5	100%	0%
3	Scopes, LLC	4	100%	0%
3	Marriott Ownership Resorts, Inc.	4	100%	0%
5	Liquid Consulting, Inc.	3	100%	0%
6	Groundgame. Health, Inc.	2	100%	0%
6	Global Process Consultants, LLC	2	100%	0%
6	Vande Wellness, LLC	2	100%	0%
6	Talmudic College of Florida, Inc.	2	100%	0%
10	Raya APP, Inc.	1	100%	0%
10	South Florida Boat Center, Inc.	1	0%	100%
10	Lucerna Health, LLC	1	100%	0%
10	Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, Inc.	1	100%	0%
10	Zipby USA, LLC	1	100%	0%
10	Quick Turn Engine Center, LLC	1	0%	100%
10	Biscayne Bay Waterkeeper, Inc.	1	100%	0%
10	Picoger, LLC	1	100%	0%
10	Florida Conference of Seventh-Day	1	100%	0%
10	Ligonier Ministries, Inc.	1	100%	0%
10	Better Service, LLC	1	100%	0%
10	UCG Underground Supplies, LLC	1	100%	0%
10	Ovations Global Network, Inc.	1	100%	0%
10	Florida Association of Realtors in	1	100%	0%
10	Save the Chimps, Inc.	1	100%	0%
10	Jack Brewer Foundation, Inc.	1	100%	0%
10	The Jewish Federation of Sarasota Manatee	1	100%	0%
10	Outreach Aid to the Americas, Inc.	1	100%	0%
10	Elite Parking Services of America, Inc.	1	100%	0%
10	Safo, LLC	1	100%	0%
10	Ideal Image Development Corporatio	1	100%	0%
10	626opco.com	1	100%	0%
10	Openborder, Inc.	1	100%	0%
10	Diocese of St. Petersburg, Inc.	1	100%	0%
10	Rayes and Terencio Holding D B, Inc.	1	100%	0%
10	Guitars Over Guns Organization, Inc.	1	100%	0%
10	Stonemor, Inc.	1	100%	0%
10	Cooper General Global Services, Inc.	1	100%	0%