09/15/2003 - DHS Releases H-1B Statistics Report
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently released its 2002 H-1B statistical report. Below is a summary of the report and how the numbers for Fiscal Year (FY) 2002 compare with the same numbers from FY 2001 as well as the recently released numbers from the first three quarters of FY 2003.
The number of H-1B petitions filed in FY 2002 decreased by 37 percent and those approved decreased by 40 percent from FY 2001. The largest drop was in initial employment petitions which decreased from 201,079 in FY 2001 to 103,584 in FY 2002, a decrease of 48 percent. Petitions for continuing employment decreased by 28 percent over the same period. In comparison, the numbers for filed petitions recently released by BCIS for the first three quarters of FY 2003 (164,688) showed that receipt of petitions were up 3 percent over the same period in FY 2002 (159,222).
Whereas quarterly petitions filed in FY 2001 seemed to fluctuate as the year progressed (1st Quarter – 128,758, 2nd Quarter – 75,395, 3rd Quarter – 65,942, 4th Quarter – 71,940), quarterly petitions for FY 2002 remained stable throughout the year averaging about 54,000 per quarter. The data for the first three quarters of FY 2003 shows a progressive increase in the number of petitions filed as the year went on. (1st Quarter – 50,643, 2nd Quarter – 52,731, 3rd Quarter – 61,314).
In FY 2002, 103,000 H-1B beneficiaries were approved for initial employment, and 94,000 for continuing employment. These numbers differ markedly from those of FY 2001 when 201,079 were approved for initial employment and 130,127 for continuing employment. (Both of the aforementioned numbers reflect the total number of approved petitions, not the number of foreign workers for whom petitions have been approved. In many cases, more than one petition is filed on behalf of a worker).
65 percent of those who were approved for initial employment in FY 2002 were in the United States in another nonimmigrant status before changing status to H-1B, as opposed to 40 percent in FY 2001. The number of foreign nationals from outside the U.S. that were approved for initial employment dropped from 115,800 in FY 2001 to 36,500 in FY 2002, a 68 percent decrease.
Individuals from India accounted for one third of those H-1B petitions approved for FY 2002, as opposed to one half in FY 2001. China was the second leading country with 18,800 approvals, a decrease of approximately 10,000 from 27,300 in FY 2001. Canada, Phillipines and the UK followed. H-1B beneficiaries from Argentina were the only group among the top 20 countries to show an increase from FY 2001 (1,725) to FY 2002 (2,148).
In FY 2002, the level of education for those workers that were approved for H-1B petitions were broken down as follows: 50% had bachelor's degrees, 30% a master's degree, 12% a doctorate and 5% a professional degree. There was very little difference in these numbers from the previous year.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently released its 2002 H-1B statistical report. Below is a summary of the report and how the numbers for Fiscal Year (FY) 2002 compare with the same numbers from FY 2001 as well as the recently released numbers from the first three quarters of FY 2003.
The number of H-1B petitions filed in FY 2002 decreased by 37 percent and those approved decreased by 40 percent from FY 2001. The largest drop was in initial employment petitions which decreased from 201,079 in FY 2001 to 103,584 in FY 2002, a decrease of 48 percent. Petitions for continuing employment decreased by 28 percent over the same period. In comparison, the numbers for filed petitions recently released by BCIS for the first three quarters of FY 2003 (164,688) showed that receipt of petitions were up 3 percent over the same period in FY 2002 (159,222).
Whereas quarterly petitions filed in FY 2001 seemed to fluctuate as the year progressed (1st Quarter – 128,758, 2nd Quarter – 75,395, 3rd Quarter – 65,942, 4th Quarter – 71,940), quarterly petitions for FY 2002 remained stable throughout the year averaging about 54,000 per quarter. The data for the first three quarters of FY 2003 shows a progressive increase in the number of petitions filed as the year went on. (1st Quarter – 50,643, 2nd Quarter – 52,731, 3rd Quarter – 61,314).
In FY 2002, 103,000 H-1B beneficiaries were approved for initial employment, and 94,000 for continuing employment. These numbers differ markedly from those of FY 2001 when 201,079 were approved for initial employment and 130,127 for continuing employment. (Both of the aforementioned numbers reflect the total number of approved petitions, not the number of foreign workers for whom petitions have been approved. In many cases, more than one petition is filed on behalf of a worker).
65 percent of those who were approved for initial employment in FY 2002 were in the United States in another nonimmigrant status before changing status to H-1B, as opposed to 40 percent in FY 2001. The number of foreign nationals from outside the U.S. that were approved for initial employment dropped from 115,800 in FY 2001 to 36,500 in FY 2002, a 68 percent decrease.
Individuals from India accounted for one third of those H-1B petitions approved for FY 2002, as opposed to one half in FY 2001. China was the second leading country with 18,800 approvals, a decrease of approximately 10,000 from 27,300 in FY 2001. Canada, Phillipines and the UK followed. H-1B beneficiaries from Argentina were the only group among the top 20 countries to show an increase from FY 2001 (1,725) to FY 2002 (2,148).
In FY 2002, the level of education for those workers that were approved for H-1B petitions were broken down as follows: 50% had bachelor's degrees, 30% a master's degree, 12% a doctorate and 5% a professional degree. There was very little difference in these numbers from the previous year.