According to the current data released by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the rate of approval of H-1B visas has plunged from 96% to 85% in the past 3 years; and now the reason is well known. According to an Associated Press report on the data, Specialized skilled immigrants said that it’s either their visas are denied or delayed for a long time because the government is seeking for proof that the work they are applying is worthy of being issued a visa. The US administration has really come down hard on this visa programme. The requests for evidence by the government, thereby causing delays in the visa processes, have risen to 60% since 2015 as against 35% 3 years ago – considered then as high. Sarah Pierce is a policy expert for a Migration Policy Institute based in Washington DC, and according to her, the effectiveness of Trump’s administration effort with regards to limiting the number of applications received from consulting companies abroad is shown in the data released. Between 2017 and 2018, there has been a reduction in the number of approved H-1B visa petitions for consulting companies abroad. “The Trump administration is really hitting them, which is indeed their target”, she said. According to the Pew Research Centre, businesses in Dallas-Fort Worth are the most effective users of the program, followed by those in Silicon Valley. Business in D-FW, as well as tech-related firms, see the H-1B visa scheme as an anchor which they rely on to recruit highly skilled workers for their continued operation. The PEW report also showed that between 2010 and 2016, 74,000 H-1B visas were received by employers in Dallas-Fort Worth. D-FW is a top job creator even far ahead of some nations, and it partially depends on skilled foreign workers to carry out those jobs. In 2018, employers throughout the country were in search of qualified workers to fill about 6.7 million job openings.

Reasons for Delay or Denial

The primary reason for the delays or denial, as given by the government, is the failure of applicants to specify if the position falls within specialty occupation that worth the visa. When the requirements are not met, a request of evidence is issued by the department; and thus delays the process and leaves the applicant in the world of uncertainty. The President’s executive order on “Buy American, Hire American” – whose primary aim is to strictly enforce hiring policies which govern foreign workers, thereby protecting the economic interest of the country - is being pointed at by officials as another reason for the request of evidence and many fear this will continue to reduce the number of those who can work in the US with H-1B visas. Migration Policy Institute Analyst, Pierce, said that as an Immigration attorney, what she has seen while working on H-1B cases before Trump’s administration corresponds with the reasons the Immigration authorities have given. To get your possible Immigration options, approach Immigration News now, and we will also evaluate your profile with our Immigration experts and advise you whether you are qualified to apply or not.