A 40 per cent decline has been noted in the number of H-1B visa applications, according to the figures from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
The decrease has mainly resulted from a crackdown on attempts to “game the system” via multiple requests made by persons in a bid to unlawfully increase their chances of selection, VisaGuide.World reports.
The USCIS through a statement said that its initial data indicates that there were far fewer attempts compared to last year in order to gain an unfair advantage owing in large measure to the beneficiary-centric selection process implementation.
We are reviewing the FY 2025 data for any attempts to gain an unfair advantage through the beneficiary-centric process. We will deny or revoke any petitions and make law enforcement referrals for criminal prosecution accordingly.
A total of 470,342 entries were received by the government in the lottery held at the end of March, according to the USCIS, thus accounting for a decline of 38 per cent compared to the previous year’s 758,994 entries.
The number of workers applying remained stable, with nearly 442,000 registered this year compared to 446,000 received last year.
The decline in the number of applications indicates that stricter rules introduced previously are showing results.
The new amendments were applied following proof that companies and persons were found to be submitting multiple applications, in order to boost their chances to benefit from this program.
Based on evidence from the FY 2023 and FY 2024 H-1B cap seasons, we have already undertaken thorough fraud investigations, denied and revoked petitions accordingly, and continue to make law enforcement referrals for criminal prosecution.
New Final Rule to Strengthen the H-1B Program
The H-1B visa scheme permits US employers to hire highly qualified workers from other countries, provided they cannot find them in the US and fill in labor shortage gaps by allowing them to work temporarily in the United States.
However, reports on the risk of fraud during the H-1B registration process were not few. In order to mitigate the risk of fraud, in January this year, the USCIS announced a new final rule that aims to prevent manipulation during the registration process and also provide equal chances for all those interested in this program.
In a bid to further strengthen the program, in January this year, the agency also announced that it gave a total of 20,000 nonimmigrant workers the opportunity to renew their visas domestically.