Sharp drop in H1B visa approvals in 2018: report

There was a sharp 10 per cent decline in the approval of H-1B visas by the US in the fiscal year 2018 which experts attributed to the “aggressive” policies of the Trump administration to clamp down on the use of the work visa programme, popular among highly-skilled Indian IT professionals.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approved 335,000 H-1B visas, which included both new and renewable, in the fiscal year 2018.