The Number of H-1B Petitions Granted will be Decreased in the U.S. in 2010

Number of H-1B Petitions Granted

An Overview of the H-1B Visa Program for Skilled Workers:

Due to its popularity and strict annual limits, the program is highly competitive and operates on a lottery system. The number of H-1B petitions granted each year reflects both policy and demand.


What is a “Specialty Occupation”?

The core requirement of the H-1B program is that the job must qualify as a “specialty occupation.” This generally means the position requires:

  • The theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge.
  • A bachelor’s degree or its equivalent as a minimum for entry into the occupation.

Common H-1B fields include science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), as well as finance, architecture, and medicine. The program’s purpose is to help U.S. employers access global talent when they cannot find enough qualified workers domestically. A significant number of H-1B petitions granted are in these specialized fields.


The H-1B Annual Cap and Lottery:

  • Regular Cap: There are 65,000 H-1B visas available each fiscal year.
  • Master’s Exemption: An additional 20,000 visas are reserved for applicants who have earned a master’s degree or higher from a U.S. institution. The number of H-1B petitions granted under these exemptions continues to grow.

Since 2020, USCIS has used an electronic registration and lottery system to manage the high volume of applicants. Employers first submit a basic online registration for each candidate. Once the registration period closes, USCIS conducts a random lottery to select enough registrations to meet the annual cap. The number of H-1B petitions granted is then finalized based on the lottery outcomes.


Cap-Exempt Petitions and Extensions

Not all H-1B petitions are subject to the annual cap.

This allows for continuity and recognizes the ongoing contributions of these skilled workers.

Cap-Exempt Employers: Petitions filed by institutions of higher education (like universities), non-profit research organizations, and government research organizations are exempt from the cap.

Number of H-1B Petitions Granted

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