India's share in H-1B hits a decade's low

US President Donald Trump has accused Indians of abusing the H-IB visa system and announced a onetime $100,000 fee on new visas from next year, a nearly 100-fold jump from the current level. The visa numbers, however, tell another story about recent years.

- Jas Bardia Dipali Banka & Varun Sood

In 2024 (Oct-Sep), Indians accounted for 68.6% of the 219,659 H-1B visas issued, as per US Bureau of Consular Affairs' data. ISTOCKPHOTO

Data from the US Bureau of Consular Affairs shows that in 2024 (October-September), Indians accounted for 68.6% of the 219,659 H-IB visas issued, their lowest share in a decade.

In 2024, Indians received 150,647 H-IB visas and 18,578 L-1 visas in the year ended September 2024, accounting for 68.6% and 25.9% of these work visas issued by the US government, per a note by Morgan Stanley on 21 September.

A Mint analysis shows that the percentage of H-IB visas received by Indians is at its lowest since 2014, whereas the percentage of L-1 visas that Indians received last fiscal year is at a five-year low.