H-1BVisa Data Agent

65% are extensions, transfers, or amendments for workers already in the U.S. The cap only applies to initial employment.

FY2024 Petitions Report, Figure 2

H-1B median is $120,000 vs ~$52,000 U.S. median household income. The gap has widened from $12k in FY2003 to $68k today.

FY2024 Characteristics Report

FY2026 selection rate is 35.3% (358,737 registrations → 120,141 selected). In FY2024 it was just 24.8% (781k registrations). The beneficiary-centric reform killed duplicate gaming and restored better odds.

USCIS Electronic Registration Data FY2021-FY2026

Doctorate median: $99,000. Bachelor's: $116,000. Why? Many PhDs are in low-paying academic/postdoc positions, while bachelor's holders are in high-paying industry jobs.

FY2024 Characteristics Report

267,131 approved vs 266,474 filed. This happens because USCIS approves petitions from prior fiscal years. A quirk of the post-dot-com recovery.

FY2005 Characteristics Report

From $83k to $101k in just 3 years (+22%). The "Buy American, Hire American" era paradoxically drove up H-1B salaries by increasing scrutiny on lower-wage petitions.

Trend Tables + FY2020 Characteristics

"Systems analysis and programming" alone accounts for 52% of all approved H-1B beneficiaries in FY2024 — more than all other occupations combined.

FY2024 Characteristics Report, Appendix D Table 8

Women are 37% of initial employment approvals but drop to 26% of continuing employment. Men dominate the renewal pipeline, suggesting women leave H-1B status faster.

FY2024 Characteristics Report, Figure 6a

The 85,000 cap only applies to NEW employment. Extensions, transfers, amendments, and cap-exempt employers (universities, nonprofits) have no limit. Total approvals are 4.7x the cap.

FY2024 Petitions Report

Meta's median H-1B wage is $222,888. Compare: Infosys pays $93,850 and TCS pays $91,000 for similar roles. A 2.4x gap between top filers doing the same type of work.

DOL LCA Data FY2026 Q1

EY filed 17,397 LCAs — more than Google (16,601), Microsoft (16,438), or Apple (12,333). H-1B isn't just Big Tech — consulting and audit firms are massive users.

DOL LCA Data FY2022-FY2025

Texas has nearly double New York's H-1B filings. Plano, Irving, Dallas, Austin, and Houston all rank in the top 15 cities. The H-1B geography has shifted south.

DOL LCA Data FY2022-FY2025

LCA median went from $110,000 (FY2022) to $132,708 (FY2026 Q1). That's a 20.6% increase while general U.S. wages grew ~12% in the same period.

DOL LCA Data FY2022-FY2026 Q1

Amazon.com Services (21,594) + AWS (5,599) + Amazon Development Center (3,685) = 30,878 total. Nearly double the next largest filer. No company comes close.

DOL LCA Data FY2022-FY2025

Plano has 12,119 LCAs (1.4%) — a city of 290k people filing nearly as many H-1Bs as San Francisco (16,038). Irving, TX (pop 256k) files 10,877. Corporate campuses are reshaping the map.

DOL LCA Data FY2022-FY2025