H-1B Visas: 10 Numbers To Know In 2015
Statistics around this year's record-setting volume of new H-1B visa applications point to continuously growing demand for a supply that's unlikely to rise soon.
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Growing Applications, Declining Chances
If you want to gauge the current popularity of the H-1B visa program, just look at the numbers. Or perhaps we should just say number: 233,000. That one number says more than any other does about the unprecedented level of interest in H-1B visas, which enable foreign nationals to work legally in the US.
That number is the record-breaking volume of new H-1B visa applications received this year by theĀ US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for federal fiscal year 2016, which will begin Oct. 1. "Unless the law changes or hiring slows down, it appears the problem is just going to get worse," said Scott Fanning, an employment attorney with Fisher & Phillips, told us for a recent article.
Applicants compete for a finite supply of H-1Bs based on the federally mandated cap of 65,000 new visas per year, with another 20,000 reserved for advanced degree-holders. With tech hiring reasonably healthy, unless the federal government increases the cap -- something Fanning doesn't expect in the near future -- the odds will get increasingly difficult for employers and would-be employees to win the visa lottery.
There are plenty of other numbers worth noting, and this article provides 10 compelling stats that help explain the H-1B program -- past, present, and future. Some data comes from USCIS reports to Congress on the program, but current data isn't always readily available, so related information sources help paint the bigger picture of the most popular IT jobs for H-1Bs and the biggest employer-applicants, which are all tech companies.
Read on for the 10 numbers that jumped out at us, including the final number on our list that's a prediction of sorts. The numbers paint a picture of demand staying high against a fixed supply, meaning prospective H-1B employers and employees alike can expect their chances of winning the lottery to become extremely slender.
The federal cap on new H-1B visas issued each year. Certain visas, such as those issued to university employees, are exempt from the cap. In terms of functions, IT occupations make up the lion's share of H-1B visas, with IT holding the five most-requested roles.
The number of new H-1Bs above and beyond the 65,000 cap set aside for people with advanced degrees, such as a master's or PhD. That means there are 85,000 total H-1B visas under the two caps. Applications have risen rapidly since the end of the recession that spanned roughly the end of 2007 through mid-2009. The number has grown especially over the past two years. Application volume spiked 88% between 2013 and 2015.
The record-setting number of new H-1B visa petitions USCIS received during this year's application cycle, which lasted just five business days (April 1 to April 7). That's the shortest possible application cycle, since the USCIS is required by law to keep the application period open for five business days. The volume amounts to an average of 46,600 applications per day. Visas were subsequently awarded in a random lottery for the upcoming federal fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.
Approximate chance of an applicant without an advanced degree winning a visa in this year's lottery process.
The increase in annual H-1B applications during the past two years. USCIS received 124,000 applications in 2013 and 172,000 in 2014.
The number of applications received by the Office of Foreign Labor Certification, part of the US Department of Labor, for its H-1B Temporary Specialty Occupations Labor Condition Program during the first two quarters of fiscal year 2015. (The federal fiscal year begins Oct. 1 of each calendar year.)
The Office of Foreign Labor Certification, is part of the broader US Department of Labor, and it keeps a quarterly count of applications for new worker certifications. While there isn't a one-to-one relationship between this data and H-1B applications, the two do go hand-in-hand: Employers planning to hire H-1B workers must complete the certification process as a prerequisite to their H-1B petitions. So while not every application for certification becomes an application, the data gives a relatively current sense of demand -- which looks high again.
The number of fiscal year-to-date applications for labor condition certification generated by just the top 10 employers, all of which are consulting firms.
Percentage of occupations in the YTD labor certification applications that are IT-related. H-1B visas can cover a variety of "specialty occupations," but technologists and tech firms dominate the demand. Note the top five categories above.
The number of foreign labor certification applications submitted by employers in fiscal year 2014. That number is on pace to grow in 2015.
A plausible number of applications for new H-1B visas during next April's window. Applications rose by 48,000 from 2013 to 2014, and 61,000 from 2014 to 2015. Barring unexpected economic or legislative changes, it appears quite possible that applications will approach and potentially break the 300,000 mark next year.
A plausible number of applications for new H-1B visas during next April's window. Applications rose by 48,000 from 2013 to 2014, and 61,000 from 2014 to 2015. Barring unexpected economic or legislative changes, it appears quite possible that applications will approach and potentially break the 300,000 mark next year.
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