Beehive State News

Employers classified under the Educational Services industry based in Utah submitted 365 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, 356 were approved (97.5%), while nine were denied (2.5%).

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, Utah employers across all industries submitted 1,552 petitions during the same period, achieving an approval rate of 98%.

The Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry led the H-1B filings in Utah during 2024, with 521 petitions (33.6% of all submissions), and an approval rate of 97.9%. Meanwhile, the Educational Services industry was the second largest contributor, filing 365 petitions (23.5% of the total), with an approval rate of 97.5%.

The Utah employers which made the most petitions in the Educational Services sector during 2024 included University of Utah with 168 petitions and Utah State University with 25 petitions.

Compared to 2023, the Educational Services sector in Utah saw a 17.4% 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	521	33.6%	97.9%	2.1%
2	Educational Services	365	23.5%	97.5%	2.5%
3	Finance and Insurance	151	9.7%	99.3%	0.7%
4	Health Care and Social Assistance	111	7.2%	99.1%	0.9%
5	Information	102	6.6%	98%	2%
6	Manufacturing	81	5.2%	98.8%	1.2%
7	Retail Trade	45	2.9%	97.8%	2.2%
8	Construction	37	2.4%	91.9%	8.1%
9	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	32	2.1%	96.9%	3.1%
9	Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction	32	2.1%	100%	0%
11	Real Estate and Rental and Leasing	20	1.3%	100%	0%
12	Wholesale Trade	14	0.9%	100%	0%
13	Accommodation and Food Services	11	0.7%	100%	0%
14	Other Services (except Public Administration)	10	0.6%	100%	0%
15	Transportation and Warehousing	9	0.6%	88.9%	11.1%
16	Public Administration	5	0.3%	100%	0%
17	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	2	0.1%	100%	0%
17	Utilities	2	0.1%	100%	0%
19	Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	1	0.1%	100%	0%
19	Management of Companies and Enterprises	1	0.1%	100%	0%

Rank	Company Name	Total Petitions	% Approved	% Denied
1	University of Utah	168	97%	3%
2	Utah State University	25	96%	4%
3	Brigham Young University	17	94.1%	5.9%
3	Washington County School District	17	100%	0%
5	Weber State University	14	100%	0%
6	WGU Corporation	12	100%	0%
7	Davis School District	11	100%	0%
8	Southern Utah University	10	90%	10%
8	Jordan School District	10	100%	0%
10	Tooele County School District	9	100%	0%
11	Provo City School District	7	100%	0%
11	Alpine School District	7	100%	0%
13	Utah Valley University	6	83.3%	16.7%
13	Box Elder School District	6	100%	0%
15	Utah Technician University	5	100%	0%
15	Iron County School District	5	100%	0%
17	Wasatch County School District	4	100%	0%
17	Beehive Science and Technology Aca	4	100%	0%
19	Western Governors University	3	100%	0%
20	North Davis Preparatory Academy	2	100%	0%
20	American Hertiage Schools, Inc.	2	100%	0%
20	Weber School District	2	100%	0%
20	Canyons School District	2	100%	0%
20	Cache County School District	2	100%	0%
25	Granite School District	1	100%	0%
25	Duchesne County School District	1	100%	0%
25	North Sanpete School District	1	100%	0%
25	Summit Academy, Inc.	1	100%	0%
25	Dual Immersion Academy	1	100%	0%
25	Utah System of Higher Education	1	100%	0%
25	Neumont College of Computer Science	1	100%	0%
25	Skillfrye, LLC	1	100%	0%
25	Christian Life Center Layton D B a	1	100%	0%
25	Skillco, LLC	1	100%	0%
25	Youscience, LLC	1	100%	0%
25	Utah International Charter School	1	100%	0%
25	Wasatch Waldorf Charter School	1	100%	0%
25	Salt Lake Charter School, Inc.	1	100%	0%
25	WGU Labs	1	100%	0%