Nearly two weeks ago on April 1, the government began taking appplications for 2010 H-1B visas.
For the past few fiscal years, the annual quota was reached within days. Last year, for example, the visa cap was reached just one week after U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services opened the application period. In 2007 (the 2008 fiscal year beginning October 2007), it was a mere two days!
This year has been different, as the government has yet to reach the cap of 65,000 petitions for general H-1B visas or for 20,000 petitions for foreign students with masters or higher education advanced degrees from U.S. schools.
Blame it on the recession and resulting widespread job cuts at many IT vendors. Not to say the available supply won’t eventually be exhausted. Foreign students cannot apply for H-1B visas until they graduate – which is a month away.
Historically, there does appear to be a link between applications and the economy. The economic connection was also evident with a drop in applications when the dot-com bubble burst earlier this decade.
The H-1B program tends to be controversial, due to concerns that jobs are going to H-1B workers rather than U.S. citizens. The stimulus package President Obama signed in February explicitly requires bailout fund recipients to hire Americans over foreigners with H-1Bs visas. Legislation that would impose similar restrictions on all employers is expected to be introduced in Congress this month.
