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Employers classified under the Accommodation and Food Services industry based in North Carolina submitted 35 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, 33 were approved (94.3%), while two were denied (5.7%).

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, North Carolina employers across all industries submitted 10,384 petitions during the same period, achieving an approval rate of 98%.

While the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry led the H-1B filings with 6,200 petitions, representing 59.7% of all submissions in North Carolina during 2024, the next largest contributor was the Finance and Insurance industry, which accounted for 1,395 petitions and represented 13.4% of the total. Among petitions from employers in the Finance and Insurance industry, 6,072 were approved and 128 were denied.

The North Carolina employers which made the most petitions in the Accommodation and Food Services sector during 2024 included Compass Group USA, Inc. with 32 petitions and Helen Life, Inc. with two petitions.

Compared to 2023, the Accommodation and Food Services sector in North Carolina saw a stagnation 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	6,200	59.7%	97.9%	2.1%
2	Finance and Insurance	1,395	13.4%	99.2%	0.8%
3	Educational Services	1,211	11.7%	98.7%	1.3%
4	Manufacturing	607	5.9%	98%	2%
5	Retail Trade	310	3%	97.1%	2.9%
6	Health Care and Social Assistance	233	2.2%	91.9%	8.2%
7	Information	130	1.3%	98.5%	1.5%
8	Wholesale Trade	70	0.7%	97.1%	2.9%
9	Utilities	58	0.6%	100%	0%
10	Accommodation and Food Services	35	0.3%	94.3%	5.7%
10	Construction	35	0.3%	88.6%	11.4%
12	Other Services (except Public Administration)	33	0.3%	97%	3%
13	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	28	0.3%	100%	0%
14	Real Estate and Rental and Leasing	10	0.1%	100%	0%
15	Transportation and Warehousing	9	0.1%	100%	0%
15	Public Administration	9	0.1%	100%	0%
17	Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	5	0.1%	100%	0%
18	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	3	0%	100%	0%
19	Management of Companies and Enterprises	2	0%	100%	0%
20	Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction	1	0%	100%	0%

Rank	Company Name	Total Petitions	% Approved	% Denied
1	Compass Group USA, Inc.	32	93.8%	6.3%
2	Helen Life, Inc.	2	100%	0%
3	Jasmine Grill, Inc.	1	100%	0%