H-1B Visa Applications Drop 38 Percent as USCIS Favors Master’s Degrees
The Trump administration introduced Thursday that it had seen a big drop in H-1B visa applications This 12 months, following widespread adjustments in allocating the work-based visa.
While President Donald Trump has continuously stated he supports legal immigrationthe H-1B has been a heightened focus of those seeking far tougher immigration reform. The Trump administration has responded with stricter wage guidelines and a steeper payment for brand new purposes, in an effort the White House says goals to root out systemic abuse.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) stated Thursday that these efforts had been working, posting to
2027 H-1B Applications: What To Know
USCIS, which manages immigration purposes and advantages throughout the US, stated Thursday that it had seen a drop in “properly submitted” purposes for the 2027 allocation of the H-1B. The quantity fell from 343,981 in fiscal 12 months 2026 to 211,600 in 2027, a 38.5 p.c drop.
The company stated this confirmed the times of abuse in this system had been over.
It additionally pointed to different indicators of a shift in who’s being granted the visa, which has drawn criticism over employers allegedly gaming the system for cheaper labor, reasonably than extremely expert employees.
USCIS stated in its X put up that it had accepted extra candidates with superior levels and better salaries: 71.5 p.c of chosen immigrants held US grasp’s levels or greater, up from 57 p.c the 12 months earlier than. This means overseas college students who’ve studied within the US are then making use of for and being granted H-1Bs.
The H-1B can also be damaged down based mostly on salaries hooked up to the roles immigrants head to the US for, and USCIS touted the way it was “closing the door” on low-skilled and low-wage employees, with 17.7 p.c of all approvals within the lowest-wage class.
Are H-1B Reforms Working?
The Trump administration framed the info as a win, total, for the president’s efforts to reform the visa, however that sparked backlash from those that wish to see new approvals halted altogether at a time when many tech employees already within the US are shedding their jobs.
“Data released by DHS [Department of Homeland Security] suggests its new H-1B weighted lottery has modestly shifted visas towards higher-skilled applicants. But we can still do so much better,” Connor O’Brien, fellow on the Institute for Progress who focuses on high-skilled immigration, advised Newsweek.
“Replacing the H-1B lottery with a salary-based ranking would massively increase the average salary of new H-1B workers, better select for top talent, and protect American workers from potentially lower-wage competition. A salary-based ranking would increase average H-1B salaries so much that over time, it would raise tens of billions of dollars in additional federal tax revenue. Congressional Republicans can and should add an H-1B salary ranking provision to their reconciliation package set to be voted on soon.”
People responding to USCIS on
Mark Krikorian, govt director of the Center for Immigration Studies—which advocates for a extra restrictive US immigration system—wrote on [Optional Practical Training]and extra).”
The data also drew praise, including from Michael Taiwo, an entrepreneur who frequently posts about immigration. “Many folks I do know acquired it this 12 months as a result of they basically stopped the competitors from overseas with the $100K payment. I knew this was going to assist these already within the States when it was rolled out. Good name from the administration on this one,” he stated.
What Happens Next
Some lawmakers are making efforts to scrap the H-1B program altogether by means of laws, however USCIS has given no indication that it’s going to achieve this. The subsequent 12 months’s allocation is full, with the following registration window prone to open early subsequent 12 months.
