Evergreen Reporter

Employers classified under the Finance and Insurance industry based in Washington submitted 153 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, 152 were approved (99.3%), while one was denied (0.7%).

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, Washington employers across all industries submitted 9,844 petitions during the same period, achieving an approval rate of 98.4%.

While the Information industry led the H-1B filings with 5,721 petitions, representing 58.1% of all submissions in Washington during 2024, the next largest contributor was the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry, which accounted for 1,955 petitions and represented 19.9% of the total. Among petitions from employers in the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry, 5,665 were approved and 56 were denied.

The Washington employers which made the most petitions in the Finance and Insurance sector during 2024 included Remitly, Inc. with 54 petitions, Premera Blue Cross with 17 petitions, and Fisher Asset Management, LLC with 14 petitions.

Compared to 2023, the Finance and Insurance sector in Washington saw a 9.3% 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	Information	5,721	58.1%	99%	1%
2	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	1,955	19.9%	98.1%	1.9%
3	Health Care and Social Assistance	466	4.7%	94%	6%
4	Manufacturing	379	3.9%	97.1%	2.9%
5	Educational Services	362	3.7%	98.6%	1.4%
6	Retail Trade	343	3.5%	98.5%	1.5%
7	Real Estate and Rental and Leasing	159	1.6%	98.7%	1.3%
8	Finance and Insurance	153	1.6%	99.4%	0.7%
9	Wholesale Trade	69	0.7%	98.6%	1.5%
10	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	59	0.6%	93.2%	6.8%
11	Public Administration	36	0.4%	100%	0%
11	Construction	36	0.4%	97.2%	2.8%
13	Other Services (except Public Administration)	32	0.3%	96.9%	3.1%
14	Transportation and Warehousing	28	0.3%	100%	0%
15	Utilities	16	0.2%	100%	0%
16	Accommodation and Food Services	11	0.1%	90.9%	9.1%
17	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	9	0.1%	100%	0%
18	Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	5	0.1%	100%	0%
19	Management of Companies and Enterprises	4	0%	100%	0%
20	Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction	1	0%	100%	0%

Rank	Company Name	Total Petitions	% Approved	% Denied
1	Remitly, Inc.	54	98.2%	1.9%
2	Premera Blue Cross	17	100%	0%
3	Fisher Asset Management, LLC	14	100%	0%
4	Russell Investments Group, LLC	13	100%	0%
5	Symetra Life Insurance Company	9	100%	0%
6	Washington Health Benefit Exchange	5	100%	0%
7	Cash Flow Portal, Inc.	3	100%	0%
7	Flyhomes, Inc.	3	100%	0%
7	Farmers New World Life Insurance Company	3	100%	0%
10	Mutual of Enumclaw Insurance Company	2	100%	0%
10	Washington State Health Care Autho	2	100%	0%
10	Possible Financial, Inc.	2	100%	0%
10	Credit Unions in the State of Wash	2	100%	0%
14	Seattle Northwest Consulting, LLC	1	100%	0%
14	I X Investments, LLC	1	100%	0%
14	TSP Advisors, LLC	1	100%	0%
14	Neev Technologies, Inc.	1	100%	0%
14	Community Health Plan of Washington	1	100%	0%
14	X Continental Capital, LLC	1	100%	0%
14	Himalaya Capital Management, LLC	1	100%	0%
14	Trupanion Managers USA, Inc.	1	100%	0%
14	Navia Benefit Solutions, Inc.	1	100%	0%
14	Washington State Investment Board	1	100%	0%
14	Triforza, Corp.	1	100%	0%
14	BRMK Management, Corp.	1	100%	0%
14	Trexie Management, LLC	1	100%	0%
14	Milliman, Inc.	1	100%	0%
14	Blue Gem, LLC	1	100%	0%
14	Meridian Capital, LLC	1	100%	0%
14	Bloccelerate VC Investment Services, LLC	1	100%	0%
14	Washington Capital Management, Inc.	1	100%	0%
14	Pitchbook Data, Inc.	1	100%	0%
14	Efinancial, LLC	1	100%	0%
14	Silver Creek Advisory Partners, LLC	1	100%	0%
14	MBS Source Etrading, Inc.	1	100%	0%
14	Vendara Payments, LLC	1	100%	0%
14	Pemco Mutual Insurance Company	1	100%	0%