H-1B visa lottery applications drop by 40% after crackdown on fraud

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reports a significant drop in the number of H-1B visa lottery applications this year, attributing it to a successful crackdown on fraudulent practices. The number of lottery entries has dropped by nearly 40% in 2024.

The USCIS revealed that the number of entries for this year's lottery stood at 470,342, marking a substantial 38% decline from the 758,994 entries received in 2023, according to a report by the Associated Press.

Interestingly, while the count of workers applying remained relatively stable, with around 442,000 this year compared to 446,000 last year, it indicated a sharp decrease in individuals attempting multiple submissions.

The H-1B visa bids tripled from 2021 to 2023 after the government slimmed down the bulky paperwork to be eligible for the lottery, saying that the time-consuming, expensive task could wait until they had won one of up to 85,000 slots awarded annually in the H-1B visa programme.

Instead, a simple $10 electronic registration fee became the only requirement, making it easier for people to participate.

However, the USCIS found evidence that some companies and individuals were trying to game the system.

Last year, over 400,000 out of 759,000 registrations were duplicates.

The USCIS implemented the new one-entry rule in 2024 after uncovering evidence of "gaming the system" by some companies and applicants.

"We realised that the gaming of the system was not helpful for anybody," said Jaddou, reported AP.

Previously, individuals could submit multiple applications to increase their chances of winning the lottery, creating an unfair advantage.

"We want to make sure that [the visa] is in the hands of people who are going to use it and help the nation," stated USCIS Director Ur Jaddou.

The H-1B visa programme grants visas to highly skilled foreign workers in speciality occupations, often in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) fields.

Major tech companies, including Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, Meta, and Google, heavily rely on H-1B visas.

In recent years, Indian tech professionals have dominated the H-1B cap-subject visas, securing about 70% of the 85,000 visas available, including the 20,000 master’s cap for advanced US degree holders, according to Forbes.

In 2022, Indians secured 77% of the 320,000 approved H-1B visas. This year, the USCIS anticipates around 350,000 applicants, a decrease attributed to new measures against fraud.

According to USCIS -- the US agency that takes care of the visa process -- random selections have been made, and notifications being sent to myUSCIS accounts.

Jaddou emphasised the USCIS's commitment to ensuring a fair and efficient visa lottery.

While the total number of applicants remained relatively steady, the sharp drop in entries suggests a significant reduction in fraudulent applications.