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A report from an American think tank points to a marked spike in denial of H-1B and L-1 work visa petitions by US authorities in what has particularly left India-born professionals bearing the brunt.
Analysing new data obtained from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the National Foundation for American Policy says the agency has “dramatically increased denials of L-1 and H-1B petitions over the past four years”.
“Data indicates much of the increase in denials involves Indian-born professionals and researchers,” says the Virginia-based NFAP, noting that the high rate of denials is “harming the competitiveness of US employers and encouraging companies to keep more jobs and resources outside the United States”.
During American fiscal year 2011, a total of 63 per cent of L-1B petitions received a Request for Evidence and 27 per cent were issued a denial, the report says, adding USCIS adjudicators “denied or delayed between 63 per cent to 90 per cent of all L-1B petitions in 2011”.
It goes on to say that country-specific data reveal that denials of new L-1B petitions are more likely in respect of Indian-born professionals than nationals of other countries.
“The denial rate for Indian-born applicants for new L-1B petitions rose from 2.8 per cent in Fiscal Year 2008 to 22.5 per cent in FY 2009, a substantial increase that resulted in many employers being unable to transfer their employees into the United States to work on research projects or serve customers,” it said, pointing out that in comparison, the denial rate for Canadians rose modestly from 2.0 per cent to 2.9 percent in the same period.
Analysing new data obtained from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the National Foundation for American Policy says the agency has “dramatically increased denials of L-1 and H-1B petitions over the past four years”.
“Data indicates much of the increase in denials involves Indian-born professionals and researchers,” says the Virginia-based NFAP, noting that the high rate of denials is “harming the competitiveness of US employers and encouraging companies to keep more jobs and resources outside the United States”.
During American fiscal year 2011, a total of 63 per cent of L-1B petitions received a Request for Evidence and 27 per cent were issued a denial, the report says, adding USCIS adjudicators “denied or delayed between 63 per cent to 90 per cent of all L-1B petitions in 2011”.
It goes on to say that country-specific data reveal that denials of new L-1B petitions are more likely in respect of Indian-born professionals than nationals of other countries.
“The denial rate for Indian-born applicants for new L-1B petitions rose from 2.8 per cent in Fiscal Year 2008 to 22.5 per cent in FY 2009, a substantial increase that resulted in many employers being unable to transfer their employees into the United States to work on research projects or serve customers,” it said, pointing out that in comparison, the denial rate for Canadians rose modestly from 2.0 per cent to 2.9 percent in the same period.
