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Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nAn immigration row has erupted between Donald Trump’s supporters over a long-standing US visa programme.<\/b><\/p>\n
The feud is about H-1B visas, which allow US-based companies to bring in skilled workers from abroad into certain industries.<\/p>\n
Some immigration hardliners say the scheme undercuts American workers – but proponents say the visas allow the US to attract the best expertise from around the world.<\/p>\n
The president-elect has weighed in, saying he supports the programme – despite being critical of it in the past – and tech billionaire Elon Musk has also defended it, saying it attracts the “top ~0.1% of engineering talent”.<\/p>\n
Here’s what the data tell us about who gets into the US on these visas.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
How many people are approved each year?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\nThe H-1B visas for skilled workers were introduced in 1990. They are typically granted for three years, but can be extended for up to six years.<\/p>\n
Since 2004, the number of new H-1B visas issued has been capped at 85,000 per year – 20,000 of which are reserved for foreign students with master’s degrees or higher from US universities. <\/p>\n
However, that cap does not apply to some institutions such as universities, think tanks and other non-profit research groups, so more are often issued. <\/p>\n
People can only apply for an H-1B visa if they have a job lined up with a US-based sponsor company or institution.<\/p>\n
The US government also approves extensions for those already working in the country.<\/p>\n
Just over 386,000 H-1B applications were approved in the 2023 fiscal year (October 2022-September 2023), the latest year we have full data for, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) figures<\/a>.<\/p>\nThat includes almost 119,000 new H-1B visas and about 267,000 extensions to existing visas.<\/p>\n
The 2023 total is down from more than 474,000 in 2022.<\/p>\n
There have been efforts to restrict the H-1B further programme in the past.<\/p>\n
In 2017, then-president Trump signed an executive order<\/a> that increased scrutiny of H-1B visa applications. The order sought to enhance fraud detection within the scheme.<\/p>\nRejection rates hit an all-time high under the first Trump administration<\/a>, reaching 24% in the 2018 fiscal year, compared with rejection rates of between 5-8% under the Obama administration and between 2-4% under President Biden.<\/p>\nHowever, the total number of approved applicants under the Biden administration has been similar to that under Trump’s first.<\/p>\n
In the three years that followed President Trump’s executive order (2018-2020), about 1.1 million applications were approved, with about 343,000 of those being first-time applicants.<\/p>\n
In the first three years of the Biden administration (2021-2023), about 1.2 million applications were approved, with almost 375,000 being new applicants. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n![](\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/bbcx\/grey-placeholder.png\")
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\nDemand often exceeds the amount of visas granted – in most years there are thousands more applications filed than approved.<\/p>\n
In cases in which more applications are received than visas are available, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) effectively runs the H-1B programme as a lottery – which detractors believe highlights a fundamental flaw in the system. <\/p>\n
“Ultimately, if you’re going to have a skilled worker programme for ‘skilled’ workers, you don’t award these visas via a lottery,” said Eric Ruark, the director of research at NumbersUSA, an organisation that advocates for tighter immigration controls.<\/p>\n
“Obviously, that’s not how you find the best and the brightest.” <\/p>\n
We don’t have a full report on the 2024 numbers yet, but preliminary figures suggest applications have increased sharply.<\/p>\n
The number of eligible registrations published by the USCIS<\/a> showed 758,994 applications in the 2024 fiscal year, compared with 474,421 in 2023. <\/p>\nWith Trump headed back to the White House in January, Mr Ruark said he believes that the resolution of the H-1B debate will ultimately be among the factors that defines his presidency. <\/p>\n
“Is that second term going to be pro-American worker, or revert to the old establishment Republican position that immigration is designed to help employers – at the expense of American workers?” he said. <\/p>\n
“That’s going to be a huge fight in the second term.” <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
What industries and companies do they work in?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\nThe vast majority of approved applicants work in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.<\/p>\n
Most are in computer-related occupations – 65% in the 2023 fiscal year.<\/p>\n
This was followed by architecture, engineering and surveying – about 10% of people approved in 2023 worked in those sectors.<\/p>\n
In terms of companies, Amazon was the top employer<\/a> of people on H-1B visas in 2024, hiring more than 13,000 staff via the scheme.<\/p>\nOther familiar names like Google, Meta, and Apple feature high on the employer list – ranking 4th, 6th and 8th respectively.<\/p>\n
Tesla, one of the companies owned by Elon Musk – who has backed the programme – ranked 22nd, employing more than 1,700 people on an H-1B visa.<\/p>\n
California and Texas were the states with the most people working on an H-1B visa in 2024.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
How much do they earn?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\nThe median yearly income of people working in the US on an H-1B visa in 2023 was $118,000 (\u00a394,046).<\/p>\n
The median yearly income for people<\/a> in computer and mathematical occupations across the US is about $113,000 – slightly less than those in similar sectors via the H-1B programme.<\/p>\n
The H-1B visas for skilled workers were introduced in 1990. They are typically granted for three years, but can be extended for up to six years.<\/p>\n
Since 2004, the number of new H-1B visas issued has been capped at 85,000 per year – 20,000 of which are reserved for foreign students with master’s degrees or higher from US universities. <\/p>\n
However, that cap does not apply to some institutions such as universities, think tanks and other non-profit research groups, so more are often issued. <\/p>\n
People can only apply for an H-1B visa if they have a job lined up with a US-based sponsor company or institution.<\/p>\n
The US government also approves extensions for those already working in the country.<\/p>\n
Just over 386,000 H-1B applications were approved in the 2023 fiscal year (October 2022-September 2023), the latest year we have full data for, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) figures<\/a>.<\/p>\n That includes almost 119,000 new H-1B visas and about 267,000 extensions to existing visas.<\/p>\n The 2023 total is down from more than 474,000 in 2022.<\/p>\n There have been efforts to restrict the H-1B further programme in the past.<\/p>\n In 2017, then-president Trump signed an executive order<\/a> that increased scrutiny of H-1B visa applications. The order sought to enhance fraud detection within the scheme.<\/p>\n Rejection rates hit an all-time high under the first Trump administration<\/a>, reaching 24% in the 2018 fiscal year, compared with rejection rates of between 5-8% under the Obama administration and between 2-4% under President Biden.<\/p>\n However, the total number of approved applicants under the Biden administration has been similar to that under Trump’s first.<\/p>\n In the three years that followed President Trump’s executive order (2018-2020), about 1.1 million applications were approved, with about 343,000 of those being first-time applicants.<\/p>\n In the first three years of the Biden administration (2021-2023), about 1.2 million applications were approved, with almost 375,000 being new applicants. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Demand often exceeds the amount of visas granted – in most years there are thousands more applications filed than approved.<\/p>\n In cases in which more applications are received than visas are available, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) effectively runs the H-1B programme as a lottery – which detractors believe highlights a fundamental flaw in the system. <\/p>\n “Ultimately, if you’re going to have a skilled worker programme for ‘skilled’ workers, you don’t award these visas via a lottery,” said Eric Ruark, the director of research at NumbersUSA, an organisation that advocates for tighter immigration controls.<\/p>\n “Obviously, that’s not how you find the best and the brightest.” <\/p>\n We don’t have a full report on the 2024 numbers yet, but preliminary figures suggest applications have increased sharply.<\/p>\n The number of eligible registrations published by the USCIS<\/a> showed 758,994 applications in the 2024 fiscal year, compared with 474,421 in 2023. <\/p>\n With Trump headed back to the White House in January, Mr Ruark said he believes that the resolution of the H-1B debate will ultimately be among the factors that defines his presidency. <\/p>\n “Is that second term going to be pro-American worker, or revert to the old establishment Republican position that immigration is designed to help employers – at the expense of American workers?” he said. <\/p>\n “That’s going to be a huge fight in the second term.” <\/p>\n<\/div>\n The vast majority of approved applicants work in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.<\/p>\n Most are in computer-related occupations – 65% in the 2023 fiscal year.<\/p>\n This was followed by architecture, engineering and surveying – about 10% of people approved in 2023 worked in those sectors.<\/p>\n In terms of companies, Amazon was the top employer<\/a> of people on H-1B visas in 2024, hiring more than 13,000 staff via the scheme.<\/p>\n Other familiar names like Google, Meta, and Apple feature high on the employer list – ranking 4th, 6th and 8th respectively.<\/p>\n Tesla, one of the companies owned by Elon Musk – who has backed the programme – ranked 22nd, employing more than 1,700 people on an H-1B visa.<\/p>\n California and Texas were the states with the most people working on an H-1B visa in 2024.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The median yearly income of people working in the US on an H-1B visa in 2023 was $118,000 (\u00a394,046).<\/p>\n The median yearly income for people<\/a> in computer and mathematical occupations across the US is about $113,000 – slightly less than those in similar sectors via the H-1B programme.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nWhat industries and companies do they work in?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
How much do they earn?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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