Indian H-1B visa petitions are getting rejected more than ever
What's the story
According to a report by an American non-profit body, there has been a marked increase in denial of H-1B visa petitions of Indians, as compared to people of other nationalities.
The report, by the National Foundation for American Policy, used official data from the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) to come to its findings.
Here's what all it had to say.
RFEs
Indian H-1B applications received more RFEs than others
The report found that Indian applicants received the most number of 'Request for Evidence' (RFE) from the USCIS.
For those unaware, a RFE is an inquiry conducted by the USCIS when they require additional evidence for taking a decision on an H-1B application.
Notably, in Q4 of FY2017, 72% of H-1B applications by Indians received RFEs, compared to 61% for all other countries.
Data
Massive spike in the number of RFEs issued
The rise in the number of RFEs issued was so marked that the number of RFEs issued during Q4 of FY2017 i.e. 63,184 RFEs, almost equalled the 63,559 RFEs issued in the first three quarters of FY2017.
Denials
A substantial increase in H-1B denials was also found
RFEs apart, the report found that the USCIS denied more applications, and issued a higher number of RFEs for Indians on both H-1B and L-1 visa petitions.
Notably, there was a 42% increase in the proportion of H-1B petitions denied for Indian professionals from Q3 to Q4 of FY2017, rising from a 16.6% denial rate in Q3 to a 23.6% denial rate in Q4.
Cause
Trump's stringent immigration policies maybe responsible, says report
A similar trend of denials and RFE issuance was also seen for all foreign-born professionals.
The report stated that the jump in H-1B denial rates and RFE issue rates between Q3 and Q4 was possibly resultant of the US President Donald Trump Administration's new, stringent policies on foreign workers coming into the US.