Demand for H-1B visas tumbles

[ChromeFoundry]

Source: ComputerWorld

U.S. applications for the visas are a third of what they were a year ago; sharp drop likely due to recession

April 8, 2009 (Computerworld) WASHINGTON -- The initial demand for H-1B visas is off sharply from last year, with the federal government receiving only about a third of the visa petitions it received this time last year. However, petitioners are close to reaching the H-1B cap for the 20,000 visas the government created for advanced degree graduates of U.S. universities.

The U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) began accepting H-1B visa applications on April 1. Last year at this time, the government had received 163,000 H-1B visa petitions for 85,000 visas. That included 65,000 visas for foreign workers with at least a bachelor's degree and 20,000 for graduates of U.S. universities with advanced degrees (see our list of 2008 H-1B recipients).

A USCIS spokesman said that based on preliminary numbers, the agency has "about half the petitions" it needs to meet the 2010 fiscal year cap of 65,000, but it is "just short of the 20,000 advanced degree cap."

The USCIS may well reach both visa caps for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, especially after graduation in May. Foreign students aren't eligible to apply for an H-1B visa until they graduate.


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