TL;DR The US H-1B program is changing with new fees and a shift to wage-based selection. Visa approvals remain high, but patterns show clear age and gender divides, highlighting disparities in who benefits in the evolving system.
Context
The latest presidential proclamation on the H-1B visa introduces a $100,000 one-time fee for new petitions, causing widespread concern among foreign professionals and companies. Although the fee applies only to new filings and not renewals, initial confusion led to distress. The administration also plans to replace the traditional lottery with a wage-based selection system, favouring higher-paying jobs. In each of the last five years, about 1.2 lakh initial employment and 3 lakhs continuing H-1B visas were approved.
Who compiles this data?
Official H-1B visa data, including the number of petitions, approvals, and country of origin, is compiled and released by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which is a federal agency within the Department of Homeland Security
Where can I download clean & structured data related H-1B Approvals?
Dataful’s collection offers clean, structured, and ready-to-use datasets on H1-B visa applications and approvals, categorised by employment type, gender, country of birth, and more. For this story, the dataset on Year, Age Group and Gender wise Total Number and Share of Initial, Continual and All H-1B Visa Petitions Approvals has been used.
Additionally, datasets on Indian students in the US, Non-Immigrant Visas, Apprehensions, and Hate Crimes are also available on Dataful.
Key Insights
- The total number of H1-B visa approvals, including both initial and continuing, rose to 4.42 lakh in 2021–22 before falling to 3.99 lakh in 2023–24. Of these, the share of initial H1-B employment visa approvals has increased, while the share of continuing employment approvals has decreased.
- Roughly two-thirds of initial H1-B employment visa approvals are granted to individuals aged 25 to 34, while more than 60% of the continuing employment approvals are for individuals aged between 30 and 39.
- A notable age-gender divide exists within continuing employment visa approvals. Younger women account for a significant share, but participation drops sharply after the mid-30s. Between ages 40 and 59, women make up less than 20% of approvals, compared to over 80% for men.
- Overall employment activity, both initial and continuing, is negligible for workers 55 and older, reflecting their minimal participation in the H1-B program.
Why does it matter?
The shift to a wage-based H-1B selection could amplify existing age & gender disparities. As observed from the data, younger workers dominate initial approvals, while mid-30s and older professionals, especially women, have lower representation. By favouring higher-paying roles, the new system may further limit opportunities for older or lower-salaried candidates.
Key numbers
- Annual approvals: ~1.2 lakh initial, ~3 lakhs continuing
- Total H-1B approvals: 4.42 lakhs (2021–22) → 3.99 lakhs (2023–24)
- Age 25–34: ~two-thirds of initial approvals
- Age 30–39: >60% of continuing approvals
- Women aged 40–59: <20% of continuing approvals; men: >80%
