I've been monitoring H-1B numbers each month and have noted a rather dramatic jump in filings over the last few months. At the current pace, the 65,000 H-1B numbers in the main category could be gone in January (the 20,000 H-1Bs for advance degree holders was used up at the beginning of the entry period).
Watch how the month by month numbers change:
April 27th - 45,000
May 29th - 45,800
June 26th - 44,800 (likely adjusted downward due to rejections of petitions filed near the April 1st filing deadline)
July 24th - 44,900
August 28th - 45,100
September 25th - 46,700
October 25th - 52,800
As you can see, usage has gone from just a couple of hundred a month to about 1500 a week. It is very possible that there was some pent up demand because as of October 1st, applicants can start work right away rather after approval of a petition. So we'll need to see what next month brings. But it is very possible that improvements in the economy are showing up in the visa numbers and if you're thinking about filing an H-1B, you probably should get moving.
Positive economic consequences of a relatively liberal skilled immigration policy...
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/new-boom-could-last-for-years-says-a-bullish-rba/story-e6frg6nf-1225795202811
Aussie leaders kept their cool and did not do anything stupid even in the form of legislation unlike Grassley and Durbin.
Negative economic consequences of restrictive skilled immigration policy...
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/unemployment-rate-hits-102-in-october-2009-11-06-83100
US jobs being cut here are most likely moving to Australia and Singapore and other Asian countries...this happened in the 1980s. After an initial surge in employment, the rate got stuck at 7% between 1985 and 1988...as a result of the Simpson Mazolli legislation..jobs began moving to Singapore and Hong Kong during that period..and really the unemployment rate did not go down until the late 1990s..In 1990 Australia with its restrictive policies had an unemployment rate of 9% while US averaged around 4%. After 9/11 we have switched places with Australia, with US unemployment around 7+% and Aussie unemployment averaging 4%...I have a strange suspiciion that jobs are chasing migrants to other countries in form of Foreign Direct Investment.
Posted by: George Chell | November 06, 2009 at 07:14 AM
Frank Bowers:
Please educate yourself. Innuendo, allegations and ignorance do not pass for an informed opinion. If you want to be taken seriously, for God's sake at least bother to know the basics.
Posted by: LFWF | November 05, 2009 at 02:26 PM
"What is needed is a list of what the H1B applications are applied to if it is dishwasher or CEO I just think it is more the dishwasher and lawn care folks getting the H1B's than for CEO's This is a farce and the ignorance of The Poor Is THE PROBLEM."
1. The data from LCA, i.e. what H1Bs are used for, is available on the government web sites. If you want it so much, why don't you google it first, not go around complaining that you don't have the data.
2. To get an H1, one must have a Bachelor's degree. There are no dishwashers or lawn service workers on that list. H1s cost so much for the company, it would not make economic sense to hire low paid workers on it. Not even mentioning that in most cases you have to wait up to year for your worker to start.
Posted by: Legal and no longer waiting | November 05, 2009 at 09:22 AM
Good old boy (or girl) network, need more H1Bs because hriing Americans may mean shoddy products and a lawsuit, and is this a first stage in hiring a foreigner abroad?
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Despite-millions-of-job-cnnm-215026799.html?x=0&mod=career-work
Posted by: George Chell | November 05, 2009 at 07:19 AM
"What is needed is a list of what the H1B applications are applied to if it is dishwasher or CEO I just think it is more the dishwasher and lawn care folks getting the H1B's than for CEO's This is a farce and the ignorance of The Poor Is THE PROBLEM. The poor need the work and can not understand that they H1B foks are totaly to bring in non skilled employees and not the upper class, such as doctors, engineers, AND POLITICIANS. Frank Bowers of Austin, TX"
You are talking about H2-B2..not H1B1 or H1N1!
Posted by: George Chell | November 05, 2009 at 06:29 AM
What is needed is a list of what the H1B applications are applied to if it is dishwasher or CEO I just think it is more the dishwasher and lawn care folks getting the H1B's than for CEO's This is a farce and the ignorance of The Poor Is THE PROBLEM. The poor need the work and can not understand that they H1B foks are totaly to bring in non skilled employees and not the upper class, such as doctors, engineers, AND POLITICIANS. Frank Bowers of Austin, TX
Posted by: Frank | November 05, 2009 at 05:49 AM
More evidence of jobs moving to Asia...with this type of outsourcing who needs H1B visas anyway..they can have even better bodyshops in the Philippines...
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/ust-global-hire-1000-it-professionals
Posted by: George Chell | November 04, 2009 at 01:29 PM
Elections in VA has important implications for the state and nationally. It may lead to tougher on illegal immigrant policies. However, deep budget cuts at Universities and technical colleges to balance the budget will mean fewer Americans attending schools in VA..and means more shortage of skilled workers when the economy recovers. Of course, racists at CIS and FAIR dont give a damn! They are only interested in the fact that the majority of H1Bs are non-white. They can take the "American" jobs as long as they leave our shores, for all they care! There is always the second amendment. We can always hunt for a living!
Posted by: George Chell | November 04, 2009 at 09:40 AM
"It represents a miniscule percent of the workforce. There are specialized jobs that are available and don't have candidates. This has been covered in the mainstream media as well. Note that this H1B number is far far lower than ven the day 1 applications in previous years, as it should be."
Less than one percent is right! Perhaps some firms also threatened to move the job abroad if H1B was not approved. Ever since Citi was forced to hire Americans in this country, after receiving TARP, they have hired none. Instead they have expanded their offices in Singapore and India. So much for Grassley and Durbin protecting American jobs! In fact, jobs might have been lost in the process!
Posted by: George Chell | November 04, 2009 at 06:26 AM
Peter,
It represents a miniscule percent of the workforce. There are specialized jobs that are available and don't have candidates. This has been covered in the mainstream media as well. Note that this H1B number is far far lower than ven the day 1 applications in previous years, as it should be.
Posted by: LFWF | November 03, 2009 at 07:08 PM
I am so surprised that there are this many H1B visas applied and approved when there are millions of people out of job.
Posted by: Peter | November 03, 2009 at 05:23 PM
Many of these may be trying to hire folks on a temporary basis before moving them and their jobs abroad. I would be very surprised given the current economy, a lot of these application will be approved and the jobs probably will have to go abroad to employ the foreigner!
Posted by: George Chell | November 03, 2009 at 03:28 PM
It remains to be seen but I will be surprised if rate of filing does not decrease next month significantly. There are extremely few jobs in market and lot of citizens available for work.
Posted by: Adi | November 03, 2009 at 02:03 PM
Just goes on to show that the H-1B is a function of the market force and not just "cheap labour" that the Antis go on barking about
Posted by: Legal_Alien_from_Roswell | November 03, 2009 at 01:52 PM