Comparative analysis of H-1B visa usage from 2007 to 2011: U.S. employers hiring more!

Back on April 27, 2011, shortly after the FY 2012 H-1B Cap opened, I posted that H-1B visa usage statistics going back to 2007 demonstrated that U.S. employers were not hiring as much as some reports would like us to believe.

Looking at the numbers going back to 2007, it was clear that H-1B usage was WAY down, and we estimated - based on usage for the first two weeks - H visas would be available until March 2012. 
 

Well, things picked up quite a bit!  The FY 2012 H-1B Cap was reached on November 22, 2011, approximately seven months after it opened. 

While this year’s demand was nowhere near the level in 2007 or 2008 - when the demand for H-1Bs was more than twice the supply and getting an H-1B meant that had win a lottery - this year we ran out of H-1Bs three months earlier than last year.

In my world, increased H-1B visa usage is the best indicator of an economy moving in the right direction.

After the break, please find a comparative analysis of H-1B visa usage from FY2008 to FY2011.

H-1B Cap Update (as of 10/7/2011): 24,000 regular Hs left; 900 advanced degree Hs left

H-1B Cap Update: As of 10/7/11, USCIS received approx 41,000 cap subject H-1B cases and another 19,100 towards the advanced degree cap.

Link.

H-1B Cap Update

Courtesy of AILA:

As of November 27, 2009, approximately 58, 900 H-1B cap-subject petitions had been filed. USCIS has approved sufficient H-1B petitions for aliens with advanced degrees to meet the exemption of 20,000 from the fiscal year 2010 cap. Any H-1B petitions filed on behalf of an alien with an advanced degree will now count toward the general H-1B cap of 65,000. USCIS will continue to accept both cap-subject petitions and advanced degree petitions until a sufficient number of H-1B petitions have been received to reach the statutory limits, taking into account the fact that some of these petitions may be denied, revoked, or withdrawn.

H-1B Cap Update

Courtesy of www.aila.org:

As of November 20, 2009, approximately 56,900 H-1B cap-subject petitions have been filed. USCIS has approved sufficient H-1B petitions for aliens with advanced degrees to meet the exemption of 20,000 from the fiscal year 2010 cap. Any H-1B petitions filed on behalf of an alien with an advanced degree will now count toward the general H-1B cap of 65,000. USCIS will continue to accept both cap-subject petitions and advanced degree petitions until a sufficient number of H-1B petitions have been received to reach the statutory limits, taking into account the fact that some of these petitions may be denied, revoked, or withdrawn. As the numbers are close to reaching the limit, members are advised to file their H-1B cap-subject cases as soon as possible. Please see the USCIS website for the latest information on the H-1B cap count.