How many H-1B petitions made by Massachusetts employers were approved during 2024?

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

By Bay State News

Mar 26, 2025

In 2024, 16,059 of the 16,428 H-1B petitions submitted by employers based in Massachusetts 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 97.8%, which is lower than the nationwide average.

In 2024, the average approval rate for H-1B petitions across the U.S. stood at 98%, slightly higher than the 97.3% recorded in 2023.

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 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry led H-1B petition approvals in Massachusetts during 2024, filing a total of 6,451 petitions (39.3% of all submissions) and receiving 6,298 approvals, resulting in an approval rate of 97.6%. The Finance and Insurance industry followed, with 2,928 petitions (17.8% of all submissions), receiving 2,893 approvals and an approval rate of 98.8%.

Employers are classified under industries based on their reported operations and may be involved in multiple industries.

The Massachusetts employers with the most approvals during 2024 included Fidelity Investments, filing a total of 1,795 petitions and receiving 1,771 approvals, resulting in an approval rate of 98.7%, and Virtusa Corporation, which filed 534 petitions and received 523 approvals, resulting in an approval rate of 97.9%.

Compared to 2023, Massachusetts saw a 2.9% 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.

Massachusetts H-1B Petition Distribution by Industry in 2024

H-1B Petitions by Industry in Massachusetts, 2024

Rank	Industry	Total Petitions	% of All Submissions	Approved Petitions	% Approved	% Denied
1	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	6,451	39.3%	6,298	97.6%	2.4%
2	Finance and Insurance	2,928	17.8%	2,893	98.8%	1.2%
3	Health Care and Social Assistance	1,738	10.6%	1,666	95.9%	4.1%
4	Manufacturing	1,585	9.6%	1,570	99.1%	0.9%
5	Educational Services	1,199	7.3%	1,181	98.5%	1.5%
6	Information	1,071	6.5%	1,042	97.3%	2.7%
7	Retail Trade	420	2.6%	411	97.9%	2.1%
8	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	229	1.4%	223	97.4%	2.6%
9	Public Administration	98	0.6%	96	98%	2%
10	Utilities	91	0.6%	88	96.7%	3.3%
11	Other Services (except Public Administration)	88	0.5%	83	94.3%	5.7%
11	Construction	86	0.5%	83	96.5%	3.5%
13	Wholesale Trade	70	0.4%	69	98.6%	1.4%
14	Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	45	0.3%	44	97.8%	2.2%
15	Real Estate and Rental and Leasing	45	0.3%	42	93.3%	6.7%
16	Transportation and Warehousing	32	0.2%	29	90.6%	9.4%
17	Accommodation and Food Services	27	0.2%	23	85.2%	14.8%
18	Management of Companies and Enterprises	22	0.1%	22	100%	0%
19	Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction	4	~0%	4	100%	0%
20	Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	3	~0%	3	100%	0%

Top 100 Employers in Massachusetts, 2024

Rank	Company Name	Industry(ies)	Total Petitions	Approved Petitions	% Approved	% Denied
1	Fidelity Investments	Finance and Insurance; Real Estate and Rental and Leasing	1,795	1,771	98.7%	1.3%
2	Virtusa Corporation	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	534	523	97.9%	2.1%
3	Randstad Digital, LLC	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	544	517	95%	5%
4	The Boston Consulting Group, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	391	387	99%	1%
5	The Mathworks, Inc.	Information	299	295	98.7%	1.3%
6	State Street Bank and Trust Company	Finance and Insurance	273	272	99.6%	0.4%
7	Harvard University	Educational Services	212	209	98.6%	1.4%
8	General Hospital, Corp.	Health Care and Social Assistance	207	206	99.5%	0.5%
9	Wayfair, LLC	Manufacturing; Retail Trade	204	198	97.1%	2.9%
10	Massachusetts Institute of Technol	Educational Services	171	171	100%	0%
11	Childrens Hospital Corporation	Health Care and Social Assistance	156	153	98.1%	1.9%
12	Brigham and Women S Hospital	Health Care and Social Assistance	148	147	99.3%	0.7%
13	Umass Chan Medical School	Educational Services; Public Administration	148	144	97.3%	2.7%
14	Akamai Technologies, Inc.	Information; Other Services (except Public Administration)	143	142	99.3%	0.7%
15	Analog Devices, Inc.	Manufacturing	140	140	100%	0%
16	Dana-Farber Cancer Institute	Finance and Insurance; Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	128	127	99.2%	0.8%
17	Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	125	124	99.2%	0.8%
18	Avco Consulting, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	130	122	93.8%	6.2%
19	Bain and Company, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	120	118	98.3%	1.7%
20	Trustees of Boston University	Educational Services	117	115	98.3%	1.7%
21	Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	113	111	98.2%	1.8%
22	Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc.	Manufacturing	109	107	98.2%	1.8%
23	Collaborate Solutions, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	112	105	93.8%	6.3%
23	Staples, Inc.	Retail Trade	105	105	100%	0%
25	Hubspot, Inc.	Information	100	99	99%	1%
26	Eclinicalworks, LLC	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	95	95	100%	0%
27	Modernatx, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	95	93	97.9%	2.1%
28	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Inc.	Health Care and Social Assistance	91	90	98.9%	1.1%
29	Schneider Electric USA, Inc.	Manufacturing	90	89	98.9%	1.1%
30	Northeastern University	Educational Services	87	87	100%	0%
31	Boston Scientific Corporation	Manufacturing	83	83	100%	0%
32	Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company	Finance and Insurance	81	81	100%	0%
32	Sapient Corporation	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	83	81	97.6%	2.4%
32	Athenahealth, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	81	81	100%	0%
35	Analysis Group, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	80	79	98.8%	1.3%
36	Bahwan Cybertek, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	77	77	100%	0%
37	Beacon Hill Staffing Group, LLC	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	76	75	98.7%	1.3%
38	Ventois, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	72	70	97.2%	2.8%
39	Mass General Brigham Incorporated	Health Care and Social Assistance	66	66	100%	0%
40	Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.	Manufacturing	65	65	100%	0%
41	Dassault Systemes Americas, Corp.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	65	64	98.5%	1.5%
41	Biogen, Inc.	Health Care and Social Assistance	64	64	100%	0%
43	New England Center for Children, Inc.	Health Care and Social Assistance; Public Administration	64	62	96.9%	3.1%
44	Tufts University	Educational Services	59	59	100%	0%
45	Eliassen Group, LLC	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services; Educational Services	57	57	100%	0%
46	The Stepping Stones Group, LLC	Health Care and Social Assistance	57	55	96.5%	3.5%
46	Motional Ad, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	57	55	96.5%	3.5%
46	Solution It, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	57	55	96.5%	3.5%
49	Broad Institute	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	51	51	100%	0%
49	Boston College	Educational Services	54	51	94.4%	5.6%
51	APPS Associates, LLC	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	52	50	96.2%	3.8%
52	Cytel, Inc.	Information; Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	50	48	96%	4%
52	Quantiphi, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	51	48	94.1%	5.9%
54	Massachusetts General Hospital/Mgpo	Health Care and Social Assistance	47	47	100%	0%
54	BJS Wholesale Club, Inc.	Retail Trade; Management of Companies and Enterprises	47	47	100%	0%
56	Symbotic, LLC	Manufacturing	47	46	97.9%	2.1%
56	FMR, LLC	Finance and Insurance	46	46	100%	0%
56	Intersystems Corporation	Information; Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	46	46	100%	0%
59	Boston Medical Center Corporation	Health Care and Social Assistance	45	45	100%	0%
59	Wellington Management Company, LLP	Finance and Insurance	45	45	100%	0%
61	John Hancock Life Insurance Company USA	Finance and Insurance	43	42	97.7%	2.3%
62	Liberty Mutual Technology Group, Inc.	Finance and Insurance	42	41	97.6%	2.4%
63	Cornerstone Research, Inc.	Retail Trade; Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	41	40	97.6%	2.4%
64	Liberty Mutual Group, Inc.	Finance and Insurance	41	39	95.1%	4.9%
64	PTC, Inc.	Information	39	39	100%	0%
64	BCT Consulting, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	39	39	100%	0%
67	Foundation Medicine, Inc.	Health Care and Social Assistance	38	38	100%	0%
67	Gandara Mental Health Center, Inc.	Health Care and Social Assistance	39	38	97.4%	2.6%
69	Homesite Group, Inc.	Finance and Insurance	37	37	100%	0%
70	CRA International, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	36	36	100%	0%
70	Philips North America, LLC	Manufacturing	37	36	97.3%	2.7%
72	Insulet Corporation	Manufacturing	34	34	100%	0%
72	Netscout Systems, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	34	34	100%	0%
72	Klaviyo, Inc.	Information	35	34	97.1%	2.9%
75	Circle Internet Financial, LLC	Information; Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	33	33	100%	0%
76	Parexel International, LLC	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	34	32	94.1%	5.9%
77	Wayside Youth and Family Support Network, Inc.	Health Care and Social Assistance	35	31	88.6%	11.4%
77	National Medical Care a Fresenius Medical Care Na Company, Inc.	Health Care and Social Assistance	34	31	91.2%	8.8%
79	Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Inc.	Health Care and Social Assistance	31	30	96.8%	3.2%
79	Charles River Laboratories, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	30	30	100%	0%
79	EMD Millipore Corporation	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	30	30	100%	0%
79	Takeda Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.	Manufacturing	30	30	100%	0%
79	Santander Bank, N A	Finance and Insurance	30	30	100%	0%
79	Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	30	30	100%	0%
79	Bose Corporation	Manufacturing	31	30	96.8%	3.2%
86	National Grid USA Service Company, Inc.	Utilities	29	29	100%	0%
86	DK Crown Holdings, Inc.	Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	29	29	100%	0%
86	Source Consulting, LLC	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	30	29	96.7%	3.3%
89	Brigham and Women S Physician Organization	Health Care and Social Assistance	28	28	100%	0%
89	Teradyne, Inc.	Manufacturing	28	28	100%	0%
89	Intellia Therapeutics	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	29	28	96.6%	3.4%
92	Healthedge Software, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	27	27	100%	0%
92	Trinity Partners, LLC	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	27	27	100%	0%
94	Cloud Bridge Solutions, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	26	26	100%	0%
94	Alnylam US, Inc.	Manufacturing	26	26	100%	0%
94	Entegris, Inc.	Manufacturing	26	26	100%	0%
94	Sharkninja Operating, LLC	Manufacturing; Wholesale Trade	26	26	100%	0%
98	Moderna Services, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	25	25	100%	0%
98	Quality Matrix, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	25	25	100%	0%
98	Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership	Finance and Insurance	26	25	96.2%	3.8%