Which nations dominate US H-1B visa approvals?
In fiscal year 2023 alone, applicants from India and China together made up more than 80% of approvals
Recent data show that a small number of countries receive the majority of US H-1B visas, with India and China leading the list.
Between 2020 and 2023, India accounted for about 73.7% of all H-1B visa approvals, followed by China at 16%, according to Bloomberg data cited by Reuters.
Canada came third with around 3%. Taiwan and South Korea each received about 1.3%, while Mexico secured 1.2%. Nepal, Brazil, Pakistan and the Philippines each accounted for roughly 0.8%.
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Al Jazeera reported that in fiscal year 2023 alone, applicants from India and China together made up more than 80% of approvals, while no other country except Canada reached 2% individually.
The H-1B visa allows US employers to hire foreign professionals in specialised fields such as information technology, science and engineering. It is primarily used by the tech sector, with major companies like Microsoft sponsoring thousands of visas.
The Trump administration said yesterday (19 September) it would ask companies to pay $100,000 per year for H-1B worker visas.
The move is likely to affect companies heavily reliant on skilled foreign workers from India, China and other top recipient countries.
Critics of the H-1B programme argue that it allows firms to suppress wages, while supporters say it fills essential talent gaps and keeps US companies competitive.
