Fall in H1B visa applications
Posted on: 14/Apr/2018 3:17:37 PM
The number of applications for the H-1B visa to the United States of America has fallen for the second year in a row. For the 2018-19 season, which would permit successful visa applicants to work in the US from October 1, 2018, the US agency received 1.90 lakh applications as against nearly two lakh applications in the previous season.
This fall of 8,902 applications - or 4.5% as compared to 2017-18 - is minuscule, given the protectionist rhetoric of the Trump administration. While large Indian tech companies have over the past few months ramped up hiring of locals in the US, the interest in H-1B visas has not waned.
According to experts, This year, general cap filings had roughly a 38% chance of selection in the lottery. The odds for the advanced degree cases were higher because these filings get a second chance for selection if they are not chosen in the initial lottery. The overall chance of selection this season was approximately 45%.
