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Tuesday, September 9, 2025

How many H-1B petitions made by employers in SW Kansas News publication area were approved during 2024?

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Jennifer B. Higgins, Deputy Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services | https://medium.com/the-u-s-digital-service/meet-the-dhs-digital-service-champions-may-2018-caee7dade2b

Jennifer B. Higgins, Deputy Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services | https://medium.com/the-u-s-digital-service/meet-the-dhs-digital-service-champions-may-2018-caee7dade2b

In 2024, 62 of the 63 H-1B petitions submitted by employers based in the SW Kansas 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 98.4%, which is higher 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 Kansas across all industries submitted 1,314 petitions during the same period, with an approval rate of 98.6%.

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 SW Kansas News publication area during 2024, filing a total of 55 petitions (87.3% of all submissions) and receiving 54 approvals, resulting in an approval rate of 98.2%. The Health Care and Social Assistance industry followed, with seven petitions (11.1% 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 Unified School District 457 with 44 petitions and all of them approved, High Plains Educational Cooperativ with three petitions and all of them approved, and Kearny County Hospital, Southwest Medical Center and St. Catherine Hospital with two petitions each, along with three other companies.

Compared to 2023, Kansas saw a 244.4% 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.

SW Kansas News Publication Area H-1B Petition Distribution by Industry in 2024

Educational Services (87.3%)Health Care and Social Assistance (11.1%)Industries <5% (1.6%)

H-1B Petitions by Industry in SW Kansas News Publication Area, 2024
RankIndustryTotal Petitions% of All Submissions% Approved% Denied
1Educational Services5587.3%98.2%1.8%
2Health Care and Social Assistance711.1%100%0%
Top Employers in the SW Kansas News Publication Area, 2024
Company NameIndustryTotal Petitions% Approved% Denied
Unified School District 457Educational Services44100%0%
High Plains Educational CooperativEducational Services3100%0%
Kearny County HospitalHealth Care and Social Assistance2100%0%
Southwest Medical CenterHealth Care and Social Assistance2100%0%
St. Catherine HospitalHealth Care and Social Assistance2100%0%
Unified School District 494Educational Services2100%0%
Unified School District No 216Educational Services250%50%
USD 363 Holcomb Public SchoolsEducational Services2100%0%
Hodgeman County Health CenterHealth Care and Social Assistance1100%0%
Seward County Community CollegeEducational Services1100%0%
USD 200 Greeley County SchoolsEducational Services1100%0%
USD 214 - Ulysses Public SchoolsEducational Services1100%0%

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