New Delhi: In fiscal 2021, Indians bagged the highest number of H1B visas i.e., over 74 percent of the allotments.
Out of 4.07 lakh H1B visas approved by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), 3.01 lakh were allotted to Indians whereas, 50 thousand Chinese received the visas.
Drop in number of visas allotted to Indians
Although Indians continue to bag the highest number of H1B visas, the number dropped from 319494 in 2020 to 301616 in 2021. In terms of percentage, the visas bagged by Indians fell from 75 to 74 percent.
In terms of occupation, 68.8 percent i.e., 2.80 lakh of the total visas were bagged by techies.
Out of the total individuals who obtained the visa, 56.6 percent are master’s degree holders whereas, 33.7 percent and 6.8 percent have bachelor’s and doctorate degrees. Another 2.9 percent of the beneficiaries are professional degree holders.
H1B visa
It allows US employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations.
The visa holders can stay in the US for three years. The duration of the stay can be extended to six years. However, getting a visa is not easy as applicants have to satisfy a set of conditions.
Unlike Canada where the applicant’s visa application is approved based on his/her score, in the US, if H1B visa applications exceed the annual visa cap, the lottery system will be followed. In the system, applications are picked randomly.
