The US rejects one-fourth of all new H1B Visas

The Trump Govt. has rejected nearly one-fourth of all new H1B Visa applications in the third quarter (October to June) of the fiscal year 2018-19. The denial rate in FY19 is three times that of FY15, as per the USCIS.

Indians account for nearly 70% of all H1B Visas granted in the US. Global tech companies rely heavily on Indian techies to work onsite in the US.

Stuart Anderson, Exec. Director of NFAP says that the USCIS has changed the approval standards for the H1B Visa. This has resulted in the rejection rates skyrocketing.

The rejection rate for fresh H1B applications in FY15 was 6%.

Mr Stuart Anderson also says that the rejection rate for all new H1B applications for all companies has increased. However, the USCIS has clearly singled out IT companies for the most stringent policies.

Nearly 60% of all fresh H1B applications filed by Cognizant have been rejected. Capgemini, Wipro, Accenture and Infosys have also had a number of visa applications rejected.

In 2018, the top 6 Indian firms got 2,145 H1B Visas which accounted for 16% of all H1B Visas issued. In contrast, Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer, got 2,399 H1B Visas.

As per an analysis by NFAP, Walmart, Cummins and Apple have seen no change in the rejection rates.

Immigration Experts believe that high denial rates for the H1B Visa could severely affect talent movement and the ongoing business of tech companies.

NFAP analysis also showed that the rejection rate of 12% for continuing employment in FY19 is four times higher than FY15 when it was just 3%.

Ever since President Trump has begun delivering on his anti-immigration election promise, Indian IT firms have been at the receiving end of increasing protectionism. The US has also begun favouring candidates who have completed a Masters from the US for the H1B Visa. The Trump Govt. also plans to revoke work rights for spouses of H1B Visa holders. Indian women have been the largest beneficiaries of the H4 EAD. They have received over 120,000 Visas or 90% of all H4 EADs since 2015.

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