A Simple Look at the Numbers
The last three months of 2023 showed us some interesting things about H-1B work visas in the U.S. These visas are important for people who have special job skills. We looked at data from October to December 2023 to see how many of these visa requests were sent, how many got a yes at first, and how many were turned down at first.
October: A Busy Start
October was a busy month. There were 24,236 visa requests. This number is important because it tells us how many companies wanted to hire skilled workers from other countries. More requests mean more companies are looking for these skilled people.
November and December: Changes Happen
Then came November. The number of visa requests went down a bit to 22,212. This drop could mean fewer companies were looking for foreign skilled workers, or maybe it was just a normal change from month to month.
December had a similar story. The number of visa requests was 22,437, just a little more than November, but still less than October. These changes over the months are normal, but they help us understand how the demand for foreign skilled workers can go up and down.
Saying Yes to Visas
Now, let’s talk about how many of these requests got a ‘yes’ at first. In October, 36,435 requests were approved. This number is more than the requests made, which might seem confusing. But it includes requests made before October too. November had 31,973 approvals, and December had 31,153. This shows that even though fewer requests were made in these months, a lot of them still got a ‘yes’.
When Visas Get a ‘No’
It’s also important to see how many requests were turned down at first. In October, 856 were denied. November had a bit more, with 1,092 denials, and December saw 1,276. This increase could mean many things. Maybe the visa rules got stricter, or maybe the requests made had some issues.
What Does This All Mean?
These numbers give us a picture of how the U.S. is dealing with skilled foreign workers. More requests and approvals mean the U.S. needs these skills. But denials are also part of the story. They remind us that not every request is perfect, and there are rules to follow.
In the end, these trends help us understand the job market, especially for special skills that companies in the U.S. are looking for. By looking at these trends, we can guess how things might change in the future for H-1B visas.
