INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
MUMBAI: Of the total 4.41 lakh H-1B applications that were approved by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in the
fiscal year 2022 (year ending September 30, 2022), 3.20 lakh or 72.6% were allotted to those who were India-born (Indians).The second most
common country of birth was China, with a comparatively meagre statistic of 55,038 (12.5% of the total)
Canada with 4,235 successful applicants (1%) of the total, stood third in ranking
This statistic of 4.41 lakh includes approval of H-1B visas for initial employment and also for continued employment (aka visa
extensions).The H-1B visas can be allotted for a maximum of six years
If the beneficiary (individual who is sponsored by the American employer) is on track for a green card, periodical extensions are
permitted.According to the report - Characteristics of H-1B Specialty Occupation Workers - 2022, released by USCIS, the number of H-1B
applications that were approved increased by 8.6% in fiscal 2022.In the previous fiscal year, 3.01 lakh Indians had successfully obtained
H-1B visas, which was 74.1% of the total visas approved in 2021
In contrast, 50,328 Chinese (constituting 12.4% of the total approvals) had obtained H-1B visas
In short, over the years, Indians have continued to bag more than 70% of the H-1B visas issued by USCIS.Top 3 countries of origin: H-1B
visas approvedCountry2022% to total2021% to
totalIndia320,79172.6%301,61674.1%China55,03812.5%50,32812.4%Canada4,2351.0%3,8360.9%Total441,502100%407,071100%The H-1B visa is a popular
work visa, especially among Indian technology professionals
The total number of H-1B applications approved in FY 2022 for workers in computer-related occupations was 2.91 lakh or 66% of the total
The median compensation of beneficiaries with approved petitions increased by 9.3%, from $108,000 in the fiscal year 2021 to $118,000 in the
Nearly 1.32 lakh applications for initial employment were approved in fiscal 2022, as against 1.23 lakh in the previous fiscal
that while there is an annual quota of 85,000 for H-1B visa allotments, some categories of employers such as those engaged in higher
education are exempt from the cap, resulting in the higher figure of approval of H-1B visas for new jobs.During the fiscal year 2022, nearly
77,673 India-born individuals obtained an H-1B visa for new employment (which is 58.7% of the total)
The statistic for China-born is 18,911 (or 14,3% of the total)
During the fiscal year 2021, Indians had bagged 75,858 (61.5%) of the visas for initial employment
Chinese had obtained 15.2% of such visas
International students continued to be a significant chunk of those who successfully made a transition from F-1 to H-1B visas.Top 3
countries of origin: Initial employment H-1B visas approvedCountry2022% to total2021% to
totalIndia77,67358.7%75,85861.5%China18,91114.3%18,77015.2%Canada2,0551.6%1,8241.5%Total132,429100%123,414100%
