Central ND News

In 2024, 32 of the 34 H-1B petitions submitted by employers based in the Central ND News 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 94.1%, 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 North Dakota across all industries submitted 264 petitions during the same period, with an approval rate of 95.5%.

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 Educational Services industry led H-1B petition approvals in the Central ND News publication area during 2024, filing a total of 16 petitions (47.1% of all submissions) and receiving approvals for all of them. The Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry followed, with nine petitions (26.5% of all submissions) and an approval rate of 100%.

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 National Information Solutions Cooperative with eight petitions and all of them approved, Standing Rock Community Grant School and White Shield School District with six petitions each, and CHI Oakes Hospital, CHI St. Alexius Health and Jacobson Memorial Hospital Care Center with two petitions each.

Compared to 2023, North Dakota saw a 45.5% 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	Educational Services	16	47.1%	100%	0%
2	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	9	26.5%	100%	0%
3	Health Care and Social Assistance	7	20.6%	85.7%	14.3%
4	Utilities	1	2.9%	100%	0%
4	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	1	2.9%	0%	100%

Company Name	Industry	Total Petitions	% Approved	% Denied
National Information Solutions Cooperative	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	8	100%	0%
Standing Rock Community Grant School	Educational Services	6	100%	0%
White Shield School District	Educational Services	6	100%	0%
CHI Oakes Hospital	Health Care and Social Assistance	2	50%	50%
CHI St. Alexius Health	Health Care and Social Assistance	2	100%	0%
Jacobson Memorial Hospital Care Center	Health Care and Social Assistance	2	100%	0%
Basin Electric Power Cooperative	Utilities	1	100%	0%
Bismarck Public School District No 1	Educational Services	1	100%	0%
Black Leg Ranch Meats, LLC	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	1	0%	100%
Ellendale Public School District No 40	Educational Services	1	100%	0%
Glen Ullin Public School District 48	Educational Services	1	100%	0%
Gnomon Technology, LLC	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	1	100%	0%
Ndus System Information Technology Services	Educational Services	1	100%	0%
Wishek Hospital Clinic Association	Health Care and Social Assistance	1	100%	0%