H-1B Visa Program and its Impact on Wages

High-skilled foreign-born workers contribute to places throughout the country and to America’s innovation economy. A new report from the American Immigration Council (AIC) provides an overview of recent research about the H-1B visa program and its impact on wages, jobs, and the economy. As the report states, “every year, U.S. employers seeking highly skilled foreign professionals have rolled the dice on April 1 and submitted their applications for the limited pool of H-1B visas available each fiscal year. With only 65,000 visas available for new hires—and 20,000 additional visas for foreign professionals who graduate with a Master’s or Doctorate from a U.S. university—in recent years demand has far outstripped the supply and the cap has been quickly reached. In 2013, the H-1B visa cap was reached within a few days. Understanding the H-1B process is important to understanding the vital economic role that higher-skilled immigration plays in growing our economy and creating new opportunities for native and foreign-born workers alike.” An April 7 post on Immigration Impact noted that the H-1B cap for Fiscal Year 2015 was reached within the first week of the filing period.

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