Iowa City Today

Hawkeye Hospitality Management, Inc., the only employer classified under the Accommodation and Food Services industry the Iowa City Today publication area to file an H-1B petition in 2024, had its petition approved, giving the company a 100% approval rate, according to data provided by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services via the H-1B Employer Data Hub.

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%, slightly higher than 2023's 97.3%.

Compared to 2023, the Accommodation and Food Services sector in the Iowa City Today publication area saw an unchanged 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	207	90%	97.6%	2.4%
2	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	6	2.6%	100%	0%
3	Manufacturing	5	2.2%	100%	0%
4	Health Care and Social Assistance	3	1.3%	100%	0%
4	Utilities	3	1.3%	100%	0%
6	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	2	0.9%	100%	0%
7	Accommodation and Food Services	1	0.4%	100%	0%
7	Information	1	0.4%	100%	0%

Company Name	Industries	Total Petitions	% Approved	% Denied
The University of Iowa	Educational Services	207	97.6%	2.4%
Integrated DNA Technologies	Manufacturing	5	100%	0%
Iowa City VA Health Care System	Educational Services, Health Care and Social Assistance	4	100%	0%
Sunhydrogen, Inc.	Utilities	3	100%	0%
Neumann Monson Architects, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	2	100%	0%
Tmone, LLC	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	2	100%	0%
Design Engineers, P.C.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	1	100%	0%
Hawkeye Hospitality Management, Inc.	Accommodation and Food Services	1	100%	0%
Kirkwood Community College	Educational Services	1	100%	0%
Malum D B a Malum Terminus Technologies Inc., Inc.	Information	1	100%	0%
Malum, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	1	100%	0%
Shoemaker Consulting Engineers, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	1	100%	0%
Vida Diagnostics, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	1	100%	0%