H1-B Visa Analysis

Tue, 02 Apr 2019 20:17:59 -0700

I was recently reading Hacker News and noticed a post linking to the USCIS H1-B data repository, which contains information on the H1-B Visa applications process and statistics about visa submission, approval, and rejection by Citizen and Immigration Services.

As a bit of background, the H1-B visa program was created to allow US employers to employ foreign nationals in jobs requiring specialized knowledge and a bachelor’s or master’s degree. H1-B visas must be sponsored by an employer, and are typically valid for 3 - 6 years. While there is a cap of 65,000 visas that can be awarded each year, there are a number of exemptions for research institutions, particular countries of origin, and rollover between years that make the practical number of visas available much higher. Furthermore, there are 20,000 H1-B visas available to individuals who possess a master’s degree or higher from an American university. This means the total number of H1-B visas available in the lottery is in the 150,000 - 200,000 / year range, for both initial and continuing visas.

H1-B Visa on Conor McLaughlin

H1-B Visa Analysis