The number of H-1B visa applications from foreign high-tech workers dropped the most in at least a decade this year, despite record openings in the industry.
The number of H-1B visa applications submitted by U.S. employers fell in the fiscal year ending September 2021, according to an analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Labor.
It was the second year in a row that a segment of the workforce has seen a decline.
Immigration lawyers and experts say that the drop was due to a significant slowdown in visa processing during lock downs and tightened immigration policies.
The data was complied by the U.S. Department of Labor.
The engineering and mathematics job category had a decrease in application cases compared to pre- Covid levels.
The processing of new visas has been slowed since March of 2020 due to travel restrictions. Some jobs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics may be lost in the visa crunch as remote work could offshore them outside of the U.S.
After a suspension across all embassies in 2020, many U.S. visa processing locations have resumed at a slower pace. The ban on H-1B visas was lifted by President Joe Biden.
The H-1B visa program allows US employers to hire foreign workers for jobs in specialty fields. The tech industry relies on the program to have enough workers. The majority of H-1B visas are issued to engineering and mathematics jobs.
Applications for new H-1B visas don't always result in hiring. When foreign workers transfer roles within the same field, change companies or extend their visas, employers need to submit their applications for H-1B visas. A broader measure of job activity is made up of these certifications.
The combined metric for all job categories fell from more than 507,000 in fiscal year 2020 to less than 497,000 in fiscal year 2021. The data was analyzed by the news agency.
The field of technology wasn't immune to the disruptions caused by Covid-19, but it was hit to a lesser extent compared with other industries.
There were record layoffs in March and April last year. The sector experienced lower unemployment than other industries during the Pandemic. There were a record 230,000 job openings in the information sector in September.
We are seeing a resurgence in hiring across the board, whether it is for those sponsorships or not. Shannon Donnelly is a partner at Morgan Lewis.
The number of workers on H-1B visas is different from the number of H-1B applications. The description of H-1B application metrics is changed in the ninth paragraph.
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