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X user’s claim H-1B visa slots capped at 750,000 per year, false

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Claim: An X user asserted that the approval rate for the H-1B programme, a United States visa, is 750,000 yearly.

X user’s claim H-1B visa slots capped at 750,000 per year, false

Full Text

Enacted in 1990, the H-1B is a type of United States of America visa that gives foreign citizens employment in certain occupations. It is described as the largest visa in terms of foreign worker numbers. 

For years, hundreds of Nigerians and other nationals worldwide have applied for it whenever they relocate to the United States to financially sustain themselves as they attend to other matters of intent. The visa permits employers to fill labour shortages for jobs that require a college degree by providing work authorisation for migrant workers in different fields. 

As a debate sprung online about the programme’s nuances, an X user (@AskMichealTaiwo) shared a post on Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, claiming that the visa programme’s approval rate every year is 750,000. 

The post reads, “This is why the H1-B programme shouldn’t have 750,000 approvals in a year, especially when Americans are losing jobs. I don’t agree with that approach.

“We see tech layoffs every day, yet foreign labour continues to be brought in through the H1-B programme. This is something that needs to be addressed and reformed,” the claimant added. 

As of Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, the post has amassed about 730,000 views, 800 likes, 570 reposts, and bookmarked 840 times.

DUBAWA observed the comments made by X users and noticed that most doubted the veracity of the quoted data. 

“H1B issuance is, averagely, 75k -85k per year. I am not sure if it’s [a] typo that made you put 750k,” @Kakanfo_ pointed out. 

“Could you please provide the source of the 750,000 number? Are you referring to registrations rather than approvals?” Another X user, @Iambobjay, asked.

Another X user, @BUKAdebayo, wrote, “This post fuels a narrative that is wrong because of the data that you quoted wrongly.”

Considering the huge followership of the claimant and the reactions questioning his assertion, DUBAWA decided to fact-check it. 

Verification 

DUBAWA conducted an advanced keyword search on Google to determine the H-1B visa approval. We found a report on the official website of the foreign country’s citizenship and immigration services that mentions the current statutory limit for H-1B visas is 65,000 per fiscal year. 

According to the outlet, the visa category has an additional 20,000 accessible for foreign individuals who completed a master’s or doctoral degree from an institution of higher education within the States. 

Bloomberg, SSTI, and India Today also reported similar developments. Both publications mention how labour groups were concerned the visa programme might displace American workers or cause wages to be insufficient. Hence, Congress imposed salary categories, set the application cap at 65,000, and added 20,000 for those with advanced degrees.  

We further examined another publication by the American Immigration Council released in Oct. 2024. The paper detailed that 65,000 and an additional 20,000 visas per year were granted to foreign professionals who graduate with master’s or doctoral degrees from a higher institution in the United States.

Conclusion 

Contrary to the assertion, relevant agencies concerned with the H-1B visa programme inform that the statutory limit on the H-1B visa system is 65,000 per year and another 20,000 for those with advanced degrees.

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