Natural State News

Employers classified under the Educational Services industry based in Arkansas submitted 227 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, 221 were approved (97.4%), while six were denied (2.6%).

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, Arkansas employers across all industries submitted 4,374 petitions during the same period, achieving an approval rate of 98.6%.

While the Retail Trade industry led the H-1B filings with 3,403 petitions, representing 77.8% of all submissions in Arkansas during 2024, the next largest contributor was the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry, which accounted for 409 petitions and represented 9.4% of the total. Among petitions from employers in the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry, 3,377 were approved and 26 were denied.

The Arkansas employers which made the most petitions in the Educational Services sector during 2024 included University of Arkansas for Medical with 93 petitions, University of Arkansas with 56 petitions, and Little Scholars of Arkansas with 14 petitions.

Compared to 2023, the Educational Services sector in Arkansas saw an 8.1% 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	Retail Trade	3,403	77.8%	99.2%	0.8%
2	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	409	9.4%	95.8%	4.2%
3	Educational Services	227	5.2%	97.4%	2.6%
4	Health Care and Social Assistance	105	2.4%	96.2%	3.8%
5	Transportation and Warehousing	76	1.7%	97.4%	2.6%
6	Manufacturing	50	1.1%	98%	2%
7	Information	40	0.9%	85%	15%
8	Finance and Insurance	31	0.7%	100%	0%
9	Public Administration	15	0.3%	93.3%	6.7%
10	Wholesale Trade	7	0.2%	100%	0%
11	Construction	4	0.1%	100%	0%
12	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	3	0.1%	100%	0%
13	Accommodation and Food Services	2	0.1%	100%	0%
14	Utilities	1	0%	100%	0%
14	Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	1	0%	100%	0%

Rank	Company Name	Total Petitions	% Approved	% Denied
1	University of Arkansas for Medical	93	100%	0%
2	University of Arkansas	56	98.2%	1.8%
3	Little Scholars of Arkansas	14	92.9%	7.1%
4	Arkansas State University	9	100%	0%
5	Southern Arkansas University	6	83.3%	16.7%
6	University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences	5	100%	0%
7	Hope Public School District	4	75%	25%
7	University of Central Arkansas	4	100%	0%
7	Blytheville School District No 5	4	100%	0%
10	Camden Fairview School District	3	100%	0%
10	University of ARK Div of Agriculture	3	100%	0%
10	Superintendent of Osceola Public Schools	3	100%	0%
13	University of the Ozarks	2	100%	0%
13	Philander Smith College	2	100%	0%
13	Brinkley School District	2	50%	50%
13	Lyon College	2	100%	0%
13	John Brown University	2	100%	0%
18	University of Arkansas - Pulaski T	1	100%	0%
18	Jacksonville Public School District	1	100%	0%
18	Southern Arkansas University Technician	1	100%	0%
18	Harding University	1	100%	0%
18	National Park College	1	100%	0%
18	The University of Arkansas at Mont	1	100%	0%
18	Forrest City School District	1	100%	0%
18	University of Arkansas Little Rock	1	100%	0%
18	Arkansas Technician University	1	100%	0%
18	The University of Arkansas at Litt	1	100%	0%
18	Fayetteville Public Schools	1	0%	100%
18	El Dorado School District	1	100%	0%
18	Dumas School District	1	100%	0%