Savannah Standard

Employers classified under the Educational Services industry based within the Savannah Standard publication area, submitted 182 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, 179 were approved (98.4%), while three were denied (1.6%).

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%, slightly higher than 2023's 97.3%. Locally, employers across all industries located within the Savannah Standard publication area submitted 289 petitions during the same period, achieving an approval rate of 96.2%.

While the Educational Services industry led the H-1B filings with 182 petitions, representing 63% of all submissions in the Savannah Standard publication area during 2024, the next largest contributor was the Manufacturing industry, which accounted for 52 petitions and represented 18% of the total. Among petitions from employers in the Manufacturing industry, 98.1% were approved and 1.9% were denied.

The Savannah Standard publication area employers with the most petitions categorized under the Educational Services sector during 2024 included Savannah Chatham County Public School, which filed 148 petitions with an approval rate of 98.6%, Savannah College of ART and Design with 23 petitions and an approval rate of 95.7%, and Savannah College of ART and Design, Inc., which filed three petitions with an approval rate of 100%.

Compared to 2023, the Educational Services sector in the Savannah Standard publication area saw a 31.6% 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	Educational Services	182	63%	98.4%	1.6%
2	Manufacturing	52	18%	98.1%	1.9%
3	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	47	16.3%	85.1%	14.9%
4	Transportation and Warehousing	1	0.3%	100%	0%
4	Construction	1	0.3%	100%	0%
4	Wholesale Trade	1	0.3%	100%	0%
4	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	1	0.3%	100%	0%
4	Other Services (except Public Administration)	1	0.3%	100%	0%
4	Finance and Insurance	1	0.3%	100%	0%

Company Name	Industry	Total Petitions	% Approved	% Denied
Savannah Chatham County Public School	Educational Services	150	98.7%	1.3%
Ogrady Peyton International USA, Inc.	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	46	84.8%	15.2%
Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation	Manufacturing	37	97.3%	2.7%
Savannah College of ART and Design	Educational Services	23	95.7%	4.3%
Savannah College of ART and Design, Inc.	Educational Services	4	100%	0%
Caravels, LLC	Manufacturing	3	100%	0%
Strength of Nature, LLC	Manufacturing	3	100%	0%
Brasseler USA Dental	Manufacturing	2	100%	0%
St. Josephs Candler Health System	Educational Services	2	100%	0%
JCB, Inc.	Educational Services	2	100%	0%
TMX Finance Corporate Services, Inc.	Finance and Insurance	1	100%	0%
The Savannah Classical Academy, Inc.	Educational Services	1	100%	0%
The Collegiate Church of Saint Paul the Apostle	Other Services (except Public Administration)	1	100%	0%
Super Lumber Limited	Manufacturing	1	100%	0%
Savannah Tank & Equipment, Corp.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	1	100%	0%
Savannah Global Solutions, LLC	Manufacturing	1	100%	0%
Mobis North America Electrified Po	Manufacturing	1	100%	0%
Macrosource, LLC	Wholesale Trade	1	100%	0%
Johnson Matthey Process Technologies, Inc.	Manufacturing	1	100%	0%
Ideal Hospitality Investments, Inc.	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	1	100%	0%
Hardcore, LLC	Construction	1	100%	0%
Gulfstream Services Corporation	Manufacturing	1	100%	0%
Gulfstream Aerospace Services Corporation	Manufacturing	1	100%	0%
Georgia Southern University	Educational Services	1	100%	0%
Georgia Ports Authority	Transportation and Warehousing	1	100%	0%
Ecoplastic America, Corp.	Manufacturing	1	100%	0%
East Georgia HMA Physician Managem	Educational Services	1	100%	0%