Sunshine Sentinel

Employers classified under the Retail Trade industry based in Florida submitted 371 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, 367 were approved (98.9%), while four were denied (1.1%).

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 Retail Trade sector during 2024 included Chewy, Inc. with 160 petitions, Publix Super Markets, Inc. with 58 petitions, and Fanatics Retail Group Fulfillment with 38 petitions.

Compared to 2023, the Retail Trade sector in Florida saw an 11.7% 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	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	Chewy, Inc.	160	99.4%	0.6%
2	Publix Super Markets, Inc.	58	100%	0%
3	Fanatics Retail Group Fulfillment	38	97.4%	2.6%
4	World Kinect Corporation	11	100%	0%
5	TBC Corporation	7	100%	0%
6	Miami Labs D B a Openstore, Inc.	5	100%	0%
7	World Fuel Services, Inc.	4	100%	0%
7	HSN, Inc.	4	100%	0%
9	Chicos Fas, Inc.	3	100%	0%
9	Step One Automotive Group, LLC	3	100%	0%
11	Office Depot, LLC	2	100%	0%
11	Bealls, Inc.	2	100%	0%
11	Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.	2	100%	0%
11	Autonation, Inc.	2	100%	0%
11	Palm Bay RX Pharmacy, LLC	2	100%	0%
16	Zee Holding, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	Fargo Automotive of Gainesville, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Brooksville RX, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Starboard Holdings Incorporate, Ltd.	1	100%	0%
16	Medical Group Care, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Pet Supermarket, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	HLH Trading, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	Cocoa Beach Discount Pharmacy, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	West Marine Products, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	ANV Group, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Rav Pharma D B a Citizen Pharm, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Lee Fisher International, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	Youre Looking Good, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Bhuvneshvari, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	SH Americas, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Mapei Corporation	1	100%	0%
16	Pebblebrook, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	Golf & Tennis Pro Shop, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	City Furniture, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	WB Solutions, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	New Gen Sports Group, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Angels Pharmacy III, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Rajhans Apex Care Pharmacy 3, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	Lake Butler Pharmacy, LLC	1	0%	100%
16	Duty Free Partners, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Beaute Prestige International, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	RX Healthcare System, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Mapa 2020, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Palm Beach Classics Auto Sales, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Future Smart Distribution, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	Univv I, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	Mount Dora RX Pharmacy, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Akshar Pharma, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Ladder Insights, LLC	1	0%	100%
16	Direct Kitchen and Bath, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	Riaan Pharmacy, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Mahant RX, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	For Youth, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	Zesty Paws, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	ACLS Global, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Publix Super Market, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	JMX Brands, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	World Fuel Services Corporation	1	100%	0%
16	Corona Jewelry Pawn, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	Baranes, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	RFK Elite, Corp.	1	100%	0%
16	Maa Bhawani, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	Food Ventures North America DB, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	Zephyrhills RX, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	CDR Global, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	Tampa Pharmacy 13, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Merritt Island Discount Pharmacy, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Aarna Hospitality, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Pomp RX Pharmacy, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Jimmy Motor Car Company, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	Consolidated Sewing Machine, Corp.	1	100%	0%
16	Real Stone and Granite Corporation	1	100%	0%
16	Liquor Six, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	Zenith Care, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	Flexshopper, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Care Rite Pharmacy, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Mediserv Infusion, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Pharma, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Coldwater International, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Wholesale Building Products, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Aroma360, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Ravkoo, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	Life Spectacular, Inc.	1	100%	0%