H-1B Visa Filings Drop Nearly 40% Amid US Skilled Worker Regulations

According to a study by VisaGuide, the number of H-1B visa applications that US Citizenship and Immigration Services has granted has dropped by almost 40% since new, tighter criteria were implemented in 2017. This significant drop worries companies and skilled workers who rely on the H-1B program to bridge critical skills gaps in the US labor force. Through multiple entries, certain companies and individuals could manipulate the H-1B visa system and get an unfair advantage in the lottery. A new rule limits applicants to one application per individual. Amidst these changes, individuals seeking cheap flight tickets to India from USA, a common destination for H-1B visa holders, may find themselves navigating a shifting landscape of immigration policies and regulations.

What is an H-1B visa?

With non-immigrant H-1B visas, US-based businesses can hire foreign nationals for specialized jobs requiring a bachelor’s degree or higher.

The Trump administration made Several modifications to the H-1B program in 2017. The measures entailed enhancing the examination of H-1B petitions, requesting additional supporting documentation from employers, augmenting the minimum pay for H-1B employees, and levying penalties against companies who substitute American workers with H-1B workers or outsource labor overseas.

It is now harder for companies to obtain H-1B visas for their employees due to these changes.

Decrease in H-1B Visa Lottery Applications

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on Tuesday that there was a notable drop of about 40% in the number of lottery applications for H-1B visas. That is essential for highly educated workers. The fall has been attributed to an enforcement action against attempts to “game the system” by individuals submitting multiple applications in an attempt to unfairly increase their chances of being selected.

“Our initial data suggests that there were far fewer attempts than last year to gain an unfair advantage owing in large measure to the implementation of the beneficiary-centric selection process,” the USCIS stated in a statement.

They declared that they are examining the FY 2025 data to identify any instances where the beneficiary-centric approach has unfairly benefited someone. They will reject or revoke any applications and refer them to law enforcement for criminal prosecution as appropriate.

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Impact of Stricter Rules on Fraudulent Practices

In the most recent lottery, held at the end of March, the government received 470,342 entries. This represents a 38% decrease from the 758,994 entries received the year before. This year, the total number of applying workers remained essentially unchanged at 442,000 compared to last year’s 446,000. The decrease in the number of duplicate applications indicates that more stringent regulations are successfully putting a stop to dishonest business practices.

After discovering that individuals and companies were filing multiple applications, authorities implemented these extra rules. They sometimes work together to improve their chances of approval.

“Based on evidence from the FY 2023 and FY 2024 H-1B cap seasons, we have already undertaken thorough fraud investigations, denied and revoked petitions accordingly, and continue to make law enforcement referrals for criminal prosecution,” said the immigration department.

Benefits and Criticisms of the H-1B Visa Program

The H-1B visa program, created in 1990, intends to accommodate workers in industries facing labor shortages, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), who have attained at least a bachelor’s degree. Opponents claim that the program might result in lower salaries and fewer labor rights, even if it gives American businesses access to much-needed talent. Prominent technology companies that use H-1B visa holders include Infosys, Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, Meta, and Google.

The absence of the requirement to produce physical identification for initial registration and the $10 electronic registration fee created an environment that was conducive to misuse and led to an increase in lottery bids in recent years.

According to USCIS statistics, one person bid on up to 83 job offers in a single year. The new rules ensure that the lottery will only grant each employee one chance to win, regardless of the number of job offers they receive, aiming to restore equity.

“We want to make sure that it’s in the hands of people who are going to use it and help the nation, and we realized that the gaming of the system was not helpful for anybody,” Ur Jaddou, the USCIS director, said.

The significant drop in H-1B visa applications of 40% emphasizes the impact of stringent US restrictions on skilled worker immigration. Flyopedia offers an opportunity to explore cheapest business class flights to India from USA, bridging connections amidst evolving global dynamics.

Also Read: Countries You Can Travel To Visa Free If You’re An Indian With A UK Visa