H-1B visa news: The USCIS or the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services has confirmed reaching the statutory limit for H-1B visa applications for fiscal year 2025, which includes the standard 65,000 visas and the supplementary 20,000 allocated for those with advanced US degrees.
“We will continue to accept and process petitions filed to extend the amount of time a current H-1B worker may remain in the United States; change the terms of employment for current H-1B workers; allow current H-1B workers to change employers; and allow current H-1B workers to work concurrently in additional H-1B positions,” the USCIS said.
According to an ET report, the USCIS has begun informing unsuccessful applicants through their online portals. These registrations will display the following status:
“Not Selected: Not selected – not eligible to file an H-1B cap petition based on this registration.”
Despite reaching the numerical limitations, the USCIS continues processing cap-exempt petitions, including:
* Applications to extend current H-1B holders’ stay duration
* Requests to modify existing H-1B workers’ employment terms
* Petitions for employer changes or additional employment arrangements for current H-1B visa holders
What is H-1B visa Programme?
The H-1B visa scheme enables American companies to recruit overseas professionals for specialised roles that demand high-level expertise and qualifications.
Current Sponsorship Trends
Recent USCIS statistics for 2024 show a substantial reduction in H-1B visa endorsements across prominent American corporations. Although Indian professionals continue to form the largest group of H-1B recipients, major organisations, especially within the technology industry, have considerably decreased their approval numbers, indicating an evolution in their recruitment approaches.
Corporate Sponsorship Changes
Amazon maintains its position as the primary H-1B sponsor, yet faced a marked decrease, with approvals dropping from more than 11,000 in 2023 to slightly over 9,000 in 2024. Likewise, prominent Indian technology firms such as Infosys and TCS documented considerable decreases, demonstrating a wider pattern of restricted visa distributions.
