H-1B Approvals Hit 406,348 in FY 2025: USCIS Data Reveals Wage-Weighted System Impact

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services approved 406,348 H-1B petitions in fiscal year 2025, but the total does not represent 406,348 new workers entering the United States. Most approvals involved people already in the H-1B system.

The agency counted 283,772 beneficiaries born in India, or 69.9% of approvals, and 49,161 born in China, or 12.1%. Computer-related occupations accounted for 252,088 approvals, or 62% of the total.

The USCIS Data also shows that approximately 58% of approved beneficiaries held a master’s degree or higher. The figures describe petition activity, not the number of new cap-subject visas issued, visa stamps granted or workers admitted at a U.S. port of entry.

That distinction sits alongside a major change in the next cap season. The FY 2027 selection process gives beneficiaries associated with higher Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics levels more entries in the pool, replacing the prior equal-chance approach.

The approval total includes a large continuing workforce

The regular statutory H-1B cap remains 65,000 places. A further 20,000 places go to qualifying beneficiaries with a master’s degree or higher from an eligible U.S. institution.

Together, those categories total 85,000 places. Some employers and positions remain exempt from the numerical cap.

The FY 2025 total is much larger because USCIS approved both initial-employment and continuing-employment petitions. Continuing cases can involve extensions or other qualifying actions for existing H-1B workers.

One person may therefore appear in different petitions during an H-1B career. An approved petition also does not automatically equal a visa stamp, admission or the arrival of a new worker from abroad.

The data instead captures the broader employment system, including workers whose U.S. jobs continue through extensions and other petition actions. That makes the headline total a measure of petition volume, not annual immigration intake.

India-born beneficiaries dominate the approved population

India-born beneficiaries represented 69.9% of reported approvals. The report classifies people by country of birth, not by a country-specific allocation.

The H-1B cap does not divide annual places among India, China or other countries. Applicants born in India and applicants born elsewhere participate under the same cap framework and selection rules.

The concentration reflects the size of India’s technically educated workforce, U.S. employer recruitment patterns and the extensive use of H-1B professionals in information technology and related services. It does not mean India received 69.9% of the 85,000 annual cap places.

The percentage covers the entire approval population, including continuing employment. A large professional network can create more routes into specialized U.S. roles, while also exposing more Indian households to changes in technology spending, outsourcing, employer compliance practices and immigration policy.

China-born beneficiaries accounted for 12.1%. The two figures describe the composition of approved petitions, not separate nationality quotas.

Graduate degrees remain common, but the U.S. degree exemption is narrow

Approximately 58% of approved beneficiaries held a master’s degree or higher. That figure does not mean every master’s degree qualifies a worker for the extra 20,000-place exemption.

The degree generally must be a qualifying master’s or higher degree from an eligible U.S. institution. A graduate degree earned in India, Canada, the United Kingdom or another country may support specialty-occupation qualifications, but it does not by itself place a beneficiary in the U.S. advanced-degree pool.

Students weighing a U.S. graduate program should examine more than academic reputation. They should check whether the institution and degree qualify for the exemption, whether the program supports Optional Practical Training or a STEM OPT extension, and whether employers connected to the program regularly sponsor H-1B petitions.

The likely occupation should also match the degree field. Expected compensation should reflect the occupation and work location.

A degree cannot cure an inadequately documented position, an incorrect occupational classification or an employer unable to support the petition. The job still has to fit the program’s requirements.

Continuing workers earn more than new entrants in the report

The median annual compensation for all approved beneficiaries stood at approximately $133,000. Initial-employment approvals had a median of around $103,000, compared with approximately $141,000 for continuing-employment approvals.

The gap tracks career stage. Existing H-1B workers may have accumulated U.S. experience, specialized knowledge, employer tenure or seniority, while initial cases may include recent graduates and professionals entering the U.S. labor market earlier in their careers.

These are national medians, not mandatory salary levels. Compensation can vary by occupation, specialization, location, experience, managerial responsibility, employer size and industry.

Prevailing-wage data for the particular occupation also matters. Bonuses, equity and other benefits can affect the overall compensation package.

A $110,000 offer might be relatively strong in one occupation and location but fall into a lower wage level in another. A salary above the national median does not automatically qualify as the highest wage level.

That distinction now affects cap selection directly.

FY 2027 selection gives higher wage levels more entries

The Department of Homeland Security retained beneficiary-centric selection for the FY 2027 cap season. It also tied selection weighting to the highest applicable OEWS wage level for the offered position, occupation and area of employment.

The rule took effect on February 27, 2026. It applies to both the regular cap and the advanced-degree exemption.

A Level IV beneficiary is not guaranteed selection. The person receives greater weight than a similarly situated Level I beneficiary.

DHS modeled possible selection probabilities of approximately 15.29% for Level I, 30.58% for Level II, 45.87% for Level III and 61.16% for Level IV. Under an equal-chance system, the estimated probability was 29.59%.

Those figures are regulatory estimates, not guaranteed or final rates for an individual cap season. Actual outcomes depend on the number and composition of eligible registrations.

The relevant question is not only the salary offered. It is the OEWS level that salary supports for the correct occupation and work location.

The rule also addresses multiple registrations for one beneficiary. When registrations differ, the system generally uses the lowest wage level reflected among them for weighting purposes.

Employers must coordinate the registration and eventual petition. The Standard Occupational Classification code, intended worksite, wage level and proposed duties must remain supportable.

Artificially choosing a higher wage level to improve selection prospects can create credibility and compliance problems. A national salary comparison cannot establish the correct level.

Technology supplies most approvals, but job details still control

Computer-related occupations produced 252,088 approvals, or 62% of the FY 2025 total. The category includes software development, systems analysis, data engineering, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity and other technology functions.

Technology demand does not make every technology position suitable for sponsorship. Broad labels such as “IT,” “analyst” or “consultant” can face closer scrutiny when the petition does not explain the work clearly.

A petition should connect the specialized duties to the academic discipline normally required, the beneficiary’s education, the employer’s control over the position and the actual worksite. Client arrangements require particular attention where third-party placement is involved.

Concentration also creates exposure to hiring freezes, canceled projects and workforce reductions. Those events can affect immigration status as well as income.

Workers should examine the durability of the role, the employer’s sponsorship history, available internal projects and the consequences of termination, not only the initial salary.

Overseas hiring may carry a separate $100,000 cost

A presidential proclamation issued in September 2025 imposed a $100,000 payment requirement on certain new H-1B petitions involving beneficiaries outside the United States. The measure includes specified exceptions and national-interest determinations.

The proclamation was structured to remain in effect for 12 months from September 21, 2025, unless extended. It remained a consideration for covered filings in July 2026, although its status could change through extension, modification, challenge or expiration.

The requirement does not apply identically to every H-1B case. Its effect may depend on the beneficiary’s location, the petition’s type and timing, and whether an exception applies.

An employer comparing an overseas candidate with a worker already in the United States may therefore face different immigration costs. Applicants abroad should request a written explanation of whether the payment applies, whether the employer will bear it and whether the filing strategy relies on an exception.

Employers and workers face different compliance questions

International students should confirm exemption eligibility, OPT or STEM OPT options, employer sponsorship practices and the connection between the degree and likely occupation before choosing a program or accepting a job.

Prospective workers should request the proposed job title, occupation code, work location, salary and anticipated OEWS wage level before registration. Registration, petition approval, visa issuance and admission are separate stages.

Existing H-1B professionals should track petition validity, I-94 expiration dates, job duties, work locations and employer changes. A material change in employment conditions may require immigration review even if the worker remains with the same company.

Employers should bring human resources, immigration counsel and business managers into compensation planning. They must verify that the registration wage level matches the actual position and location, then separately assess the potential $100,000 payment and any exception for overseas hires.

The FY 2025 figures show an established employment system, not hundreds of thousands of newly opened positions. The next selection cycle places more attention on the job itself: its occupation, location, wage level, duties and supporting employer records.

This article provides general immigration information and does not constitute legal advice. H-1B rules and executive measures can change, and applicants should verify the requirements applicable on the date of filing.