In 2021, Indians held roughly three-fourths of the H-1B visas given by the US to speciality foreign workers, extending their stronghold on this highly sought-after professional ticket to work, live, and, eventually, settle in America.
According to the latest report on this topic released recently by the Department of Homeland Security, the government agency that handles immigration, the United States accepted 407,071 H-1B petitions in 2021, with 301,616 of them – or 74.1 per cent – for Indian employees.
In 2020, Indians accounted for 74.9 per cent of all authorised petitions. The United States authorises American firms to hire specialised foreign workers on H-1B visas for occupations that cannot be filled by local Americans. Major American corporations including Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Facebook, as well as US subsidiaries of Indian IT firms such as Infosys, TCS, and Wipro, are among the most active users of this visa program.
Skilled foreign workers are employed either from their countries of birth or residence or from US colleges and institutions; for example, Google CEO Sundar Pichai was hired on H-1B while studying in the US. They can stay and work here for three years, with the possibility of extending their stay for another three years if accepted. Many of them go on to obtain Green Cards (permanent residency), which are sponsored by their companies.
Indians have maintained a stranglehold on the H-B visa programme for years, accounting for three-fourths of all applications. People from China came in second place, with 12.1 per cent. Canada came in third with 0.9%, South Korea came in second with 0.9%, and the Philippines came in third with 0.7%. In 2020, the lineup remained the same, with nearly the same numbers.
As usual, the majority of H-1B applications approved for fiscal 2021 were for individuals in computer-related occupations. This sector employed 2.80 lakh, people, accounting for 68.8 per cent of all granted applications.
A master’s degree was the highest educational attainment of 56.6 per cent of beneficiaries with an approved H-1B petition in FY 2021. Furthermore, 33.7 per cent of petitions authorized were for workers with a bachelor’s degree, 6.8 per cent had a doctorate, and 2.9 per cent had a professional degree. With an overall median age of 33 years, the median wage of those who acquired an H-1B visa was $ 108,000, a 6.9 per cent increase over fiscal 2020.
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