US Sees 38% Drop in H-1B Visa Applications, Claims Days of Abuse Over

The Trump administration on Thursday said H-1B visa applications had fallen sharply this year following sweeping changes to the work visa allocation system, declaring that “the days of abusing the programme with mass, low-wage registrations are over.”

According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the number of properly submitted registrations dropped 38.5% year-on-year — from 343,981 in fiscal year 2026 to 211,600 in fiscal year 2027.

H-1B visas, for which Indians account for the majority of applications, have been in focus for some time after the White House implemented stricter wage rules and increased application fees in what it said was a bid to crack down on systemic abuse.

In a post on X, the agency said, “This data is a clear sign that the days of abusing the program with mass, low-wage registrations are over, and that the programme is better serving its intended purpose of attracting highly skilled foreign workers and protecting the wages, working conditions, and job opportunities of American workers.”

The agency, which overlooks immigration applications, also pointed to what it described as a change in the profile of people being granted the visa. The H-1B system has faced criticism over claims that some employers use it to secure cheaper labour rather than recruit highly skilled workers.

In its X post, USCIS said more selected applicants now had advanced degrees and higher salaries. It said 71.5 per cent of selected immigrants held US master’s degrees or higher, up from 57 per cent a year earlier. The figures indicate that foreign students who studied in the United States are applying for and receiving H-1B visas.

USCIS also highlighted the salary bands tied to H-1B jobs, saying it was “closing the door” on low-skilled and low-wage workers. It said 17.7 per cent of all approvals were in the lowest-wage category.

Some lawmakers are pushing legislation to scrap the H-1B programme altogether, but USCIS has not indicated that it plans to do so. The allocation for the next year has already been completed, and the next registration window is likely to open early next year.

Overall, the administration said the latest figures reflected the impact of its changes to the H-1B system and a shift towards higher-paid applicants with advanced qualifications.