Bay State News

Employers classified under the Retail Trade industry based in Massachusetts submitted 420 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, 411 were approved (97.9%), while nine were denied (2.1%).

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, Massachusetts employers across all industries submitted 16,232 petitions during the same period, achieving an approval rate of 97.8%.

The Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry led the H-1B filings in Massachusetts during 2024, with 6,451 petitions (39.7% of all submissions), and an approval rate of 97.6%. Meanwhile, the Finance and Insurance industry was the second largest contributor, filing 2,928 petitions (18% of the total), with an approval rate of 98.8%.

The Massachusetts employers which made the most petitions in the Retail Trade sector during 2024 included Wayfair, LLC with 197 petitions, Staples, Inc. with 105 petitions, and BJS Wholesale Club, Inc. with 45 petitions.

Compared to 2023, the Retail Trade sector in Massachusetts saw a 6.5% 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	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	6,451	39.7%	97.6%	2.4%
2	Finance and Insurance	2,928	18%	98.8%	1.2%
3	Health Care and Social Assistance	1,738	10.7%	95.9%	4.1%
4	Manufacturing	1,585	9.8%	99.1%	1%
5	Educational Services	1,199	7.4%	98.5%	1.5%
6	Information	1,071	6.6%	97.3%	2.7%
7	Retail Trade	420	2.6%	97.9%	2.1%
8	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	229	1.4%	97.4%	2.6%
9	Public Administration	98	0.6%	98%	2%
10	Utilities	91	0.6%	96.7%	3.3%
11	Other Services (except Public Administration)	88	0.5%	94.3%	5.7%
12	Construction	86	0.5%	96.5%	3.5%
13	Wholesale Trade	70	0.4%	98.6%	1.4%
14	Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	45	0.3%	97.8%	2.2%
14	Real Estate and Rental and Leasing	45	0.3%	93.3%	6.7%
16	Transportation and Warehousing	32	0.2%	90.6%	9.4%
17	Accommodation and Food Services	27	0.2%	85.2%	14.8%
18	Management of Companies and Enterprises	22	0.1%	100%	0%
19	Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction	4	0%	100%	0%
20	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	3	0%	100%	0%

Rank	Company Name	Total Petitions	% Approved	% Denied
1	Wayfair, LLC	197	97%	3.1%
2	Staples, Inc.	105	100%	0%
3	BJS Wholesale Club, Inc.	45	100%	0%
4	USR Parent, Inc.	11	100%	0%
5	Thrasio, LLC	9	100%	0%
5	The TJX Companies, Inc.	9	100%	0%
7	Butcherbox Opco, LLC	4	75%	25%
8	Jill Acquisition, LLC	3	100%	0%
9	RGG Services, Inc.	2	100%	0%
9	Cable Matters, Inc.	2	100%	0%
9	Retailconvergence Com LP	2	100%	0%
9	The Stop and Shop Supermarket Comp	2	100%	0%
9	Cornerstone Research, Inc.	2	100%	0%
9	Liyijia Tao, Inc.	2	100%	0%
9	Cac Auto Group Boston, LLC	2	100%	0%
16	H Mart Cambridge, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Y & N Consulting, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	First Harmonic Limited Company	1	0%	100%
16	Jef Auto Repair, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	Weltron Technology Limited Company	1	100%	0%
16	Peabody Office Furniture Corporati	1	100%	0%
16	Fans Wireless, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	Injured Workers Pharmacy, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	New Balance Athletics, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	Cscarfinder, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Indico Data Solutions, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	Biao Boston, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Nano Dimension USA, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	Shop Po, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Healthcare Pharmacy, Inc.	1	0%	100%
16	American Eagle Auto Sales, Corp.	1	100%	0%
16	TPS Group Holdings, LLC	1	100%	0%
16	Ministry of Supply, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	Chhabra Bridal Wear, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	Savcare Health Company	1	100%	0%
16	Health Care Pharmacy, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	Torunlar North America, Inc.	1	100%	0%
16	Y2house Corporation	1	100%	0%