Grand Canyon Times

Employers classified under the Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting industry based in Arizona submitted two H-1B petitions during 2024, according to data provided by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services via the H-1B Employer Data Hub.

Both of the petitions submitted in the period were approved.

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, Arizona employers across all industries submitted 6,313 petitions during the same period, achieving an approval rate of 98.3%.

While the Manufacturing industry led the H-1B filings with 3,468 petitions, representing 54.9% of all submissions in Arizona during 2024, the next largest contributor was the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry, which accounted for 1,157 petitions and represented 18.3% of the total. Among petitions from employers in the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry, 3,422 were approved and 46 were denied.

The Arizona employers in the Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting sector during 2024 included Yahav Agritech Consulting, LLC and Arizona Algae Products, LLC, each filing one petition.

Compared to 2023, the Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting sector in Arizona saw an 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	Manufacturing	3,468	54.9%	98.7%	1.3%
2	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	1,157	18.3%	97.2%	2.8%
3	Educational Services	625	9.9%	98.1%	1.9%
4	Health Care and Social Assistance	236	3.7%	98.3%	1.7%
5	Information	176	2.8%	98.3%	1.7%
6	Finance and Insurance	130	2.1%	100%	0%
7	Retail Trade	125	2%	98.4%	1.6%
8	Construction	75	1.2%	98.7%	1.3%
9	Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction	66	1.1%	97%	3%
10	Wholesale Trade	63	1%	100%	0%
11	Accommodation and Food Services	47	0.7%	97.9%	2.1%
12	Real Estate and Rental and Leasing	46	0.7%	95.7%	4.4%
13	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	42	0.7%	100%	0%
14	Utilities	19	0.3%	100%	0%
15	Transportation and Warehousing	14	0.2%	92.9%	7.1%
16	Public Administration	10	0.2%	100%	0%
17	Other Services (except Public Administration)	9	0.1%	100%	0%
18	Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	3	0.1%	100%	0%
19	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	2	0%	100%	0%

Rank	Company Name	Total Petitions	% Approved	% Denied
1	Yahav Agritech Consulting, LLC	1	100%	0%
1	Arizona Algae Products, LLC	1	100%	0%