Fargo Standard

In 2024, all H-1B petitions submitted by Border States Industries D B a, Inc., the only employer classified under the Wholesale Trade industry located across Fargo Standard publication area 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 100%, which is higher than the average in North Dakota across all industries.

That year, the statewide average approval rate for H-1B petitions stood at 95.5%, slightly lower than 2023's 96.6%. Across the publication area, employers across all industries submitted 73 petitions during the same period, with an approval rate of 93.2%.

For comparison, the U.S. reported an average approval rate of 98% in 2024.

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. 

While the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry led the H-1B filings with 38 petitions, representing 52.1% of all submissions in Fargo Standard publication area during 2024, the next largest contributor was the Manufacturing industry, which accounted for seven petitions and represented 9.6% of the total. Among petitions from employers in the Manufacturing industry, all were approved.

Compared to 2023, the Wholesale Trade sector saw a 150% increase in the number of H-1B petitions across Fargo Standard publication area 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	38	52.1%	86.8%	13.2%
2	Manufacturing	7	9.6%	100%	0%
3	Educational Services	6	8.2%	100%	0%
4	Wholesale Trade	5	6.8%	100%	0%
4	Health Care and Social Assistance	5	6.8%	100%	0%
6	Finance and Insurance	4	5.5%	100%	0%
7	Information	3	4.1%	100%	0%
7	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	3	4.1%	100%	0%
9	Real Estate and Rental and Leasing	1	1.4%	100%	0%
9	Construction	1	1.4%	100%	0%

Company Name	Industry	Total Petitions	% Approved	% Denied
Infonero, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	15	86.7%	13.3%
Aldevron, LLC	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	8	100%	0%
Border States Industries D B a, Inc.	Wholesale Trade	5	100%	0%
Sheyenne Valley Special Education Unit	Educational Services	3	100%	0%
701X, Inc.	Information	3	100%	0%
Noridian Healthcare Solutions	Finance and Insurance	3	100%	0%
Innovis Health, LLC	Health Care and Social Assistance	3	100%	0%
Eide Bailly, LLP	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	3	100%	0%
Doosan Bobcat North America, Inc.	Manufacturing	3	100%	0%
Doosan Digital Innovation America, LLC	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	3	66.7%	33.3%
Prosource, LLC	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	2	100%	0%
Lisbon Area Health Services	Health Care and Social Assistance	2	100%	0%
Fargo Solutions, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	2	100%	0%
7cinfo Com, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	2	0%	100%
Weather Modification, LLC	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	1	100%	0%
Wanzek Construction, Inc.	Construction	1	100%	0%
Valley City State University	Educational Services	1	100%	0%
Ulteig Engineers, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	1	100%	0%
RDO Equipment Company	Manufacturing	1	100%	0%
Aldevron Madison, LLC	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	1	100%	0%
Allegiance Fundraising, LLC	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	1	100%	0%
Lisbon Public School District 19	Educational Services	1	100%	0%
Boson Motors, Inc.	Manufacturing	1	100%	0%
Lidgerwood Public School District	Educational Services	1	100%	0%
Korber Pharma, Inc.	Manufacturing	1	100%	0%
Bushel, Inc.	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	1	100%	0%
CH Trade, LLC	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	1	100%	0%
Choice Financial Group	Finance and Insurance	1	100%	0%
Elinor Coatings, LLC	Manufacturing	1	100%	0%
Dagger Machinery Formerly Know, Inc.	Real Estate and Rental and Leasing	1	100%	0%