Visa Lawyer Blog
The American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act (ACWIA), imposes annual reporting requirements on U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) concerning the countries of origin and occupations of, educational levels attained by, and compensation paid to, aliens who were issued visas or otherwise provided nonimmigrant status under H1B Visas during the previous fiscal year.
Here are some highlights from the report submitted by USCIS earlier this year:
• The number of H-l B petitions filed decreased 15 percent from 288,764 in Fiscal Year
2008 to 246,647 in Fiscal Year 2009.
• The number of H1B petitions approved decreased 22 percent from 276,252 in Fiscal
Year 2008 to 214,271 in Fiscal Year 2009.
• Approximately 48 percent of all H1B petitions approved in Fiscal Year 2009 were for
workers born in India.
• Two-thirds of H1B petitions approved in Fiscal Year 2009 were for workers between the
ages of25 and 34.
• Forty-one percent of H1B petitions approved in Fiscal Year 2009 were for workers with
a bachelor’s degree, 40 percent had a master’s degree, 13 percent had a doctorate, and 6
percent were for workers with a professional degree.
• About 41 percent of H1B petitions approved in Fiscal Year 2009 were for workers in
computer-related occupations.
• The median salary of beneficiaries of approved petitions increased to $64,000 in Fiscal
Year 2009, $4,000 more than in Fiscal Year 2008.
Pretty interesting information, we hope that things will improve as our economy continues to recover.