According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), out of the total 441,000 H-1B applications approved in the fiscal year 2022 (ending September 30, 2022), 320,000 or 72.6% were granted to individuals born in India.
China ranked second with 55,038 approved applications, accounting for 12.5% of the total. Canada secured the third spot with 4,235 successful applicants, representing 1% of the overall figure. These statistics encompass both initial employment and visa extensions.
H-1B visas can be granted for a maximum period of six years, with the possibility of extensions if the beneficiary is on track for a green card.
The USCIS report titled "Characteristics of H-1B Specialty Occupation Workers - 2022" reveals an 8.6% increase in approved H-1B applications in fiscal year 2022.
In the previous fiscal year, 301,000 Indians secured H-1B visas, accounting for 74.1% of the total approvals in 2021. By comparison, 50,328 Chinese individuals (12.4% of total approvals) obtained H-1B visas. Over the years, Indians have consistently accounted for over 70% of H-1B visas issued by USCIS.
H-1B visas are particularly popular among Indian technology professionals. In fiscal year 2022, 291,000 applications for computer-related occupations were approved, representing 66% of the total. The median compensation for beneficiaries with approved petitions increased by 9.3%, from $108,000 in fiscal year 2021 to $118,000 in fiscal year 2022.
In fiscal year 2022, approximately 132,000 applications for initial employment were approved, compared to 123,000 in the previous fiscal year.
It is important to note that while there is an annual cap of 85,000 for H-1B visa allocations, certain categories of employers, such as those in higher education, are exempt from the cap, leading to a higher number of approved H-1B visas for new jobs.
During fiscal year 2022, around 77,673 individuals born in India obtained H-1B visas for new employment, accounting for 58.7% of the total. Chinese-born individuals received 18,911 visas, constituting 14.3% of the total.
In fiscal year 2021, Indians secured 61.5% of the visas for initial employment, while Chinese individuals obtained 15.2% of such visas. International students continued to represent a significant portion of successful transitions from F-1 to H-1B visas.
It should be noted that the impact of recent layoffs in late 2022 and early 2023 will likely be reflected in next year's report.