Recently, the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) released the report "Analysis of H-1B Applications and Denial Rates for Fiscal Year 2025." According to the latest data, the competition for H-1B visas is more intense and brutal than ever before. Join the WorldWay Group to explore the current truth about H-1B visas.
Decrease in Denial Rates
Does Not Indicate Lenient Processing
NFAP data shows:
In fiscal year 2025, the denial rate for first-time employment is 2.8%
In fiscal year 2024: 2.5%
In fiscal year 2023: 3.5%
On the surface, the denial rate appears to be lower than in previous years, seemingly entering a "lenient period." However, the reality is quite the opposite—the logic behind the low denial rate is that a large number of applicants are eliminated in the lottery phase and do not qualify for the processing stage.
Most U.S. Employers
Actually Use Very Few H-1B Slots
First, let’s look at the structural changes on the employer side. According to the NFAP report, in fiscal year 2025:
• 61% of U.S. employers were approved for only 1 H-1B
• 95% of employers had 10 or fewer approved H-1B employees
• Over 50% of new H-1Bs were from employers approved for no more than 15 per year
• 72% of new H-1B approvals came from employers approved for no more than 100 per year
This means:
• The vast majority of U.S. employers cannot obtain "scaled" H-1B slots, with most companies only able to secure a few or even just 1 per year.
• For most small and medium-sized enterprises, the opportunity to apply for H-1B for their employees is very limited;
• For ordinary applicants, it is not only about being "strong enough" but also about the "employer being lucky enough";
• Even within the U.S., employers are fiercely competing for limited slots.
In other words:
It is not that you are not excellent enough, but rather that many employers simply cannot obtain enough H-1B quotas.
Former Major H-1B Users are Accelerating Their Exit
Now let’s look at the significant changes on the industry side. Indian IT outsourcing companies have been the largest submitters of H-1B applications for over a decade, but now the data shows a dramatic decline: in fiscal year 2025, the top 7 Indian IT companies were approved for only 4,573 applications, a decrease of 37% from fiscal year 2024 and a staggering 70% from fiscal year 2015.
Many companies have denial rates exceeding the national average. This indicates that the U.S. is actively reducing the proportion of low-wage, outsourced positions within the H-1B system.
The slots that are being "squeezed out" ultimately flow to another type of enterprise—U.S. tech giants. The top four companies approved for H-1B in fiscal year 2025 are all major tech firms:
Amazon: 4,644
Meta: 1,555
Microsoft: 1,394
Google: 1,050
The denial rates for these companies are generally only 0.4%-1%.
In other words:
H-1B is becoming a "high-salary internal cycle for U.S. tech giants."
Ordinary positions are decreasing, and opportunities for ordinary applicants are also shrinking.
For the vast majority of ordinary applicants, the combination of three restrictions—whether they can win the lottery, whether they can match, and whether the employer can obtain a slot—makes it more difficult than at any time in the past.
Beyond Trends: The U.S. Government is Strengthening Visa Reviews
In addition to NFAP data, recent actions by the U.S. government also indicate a tightening policy direction: since January, the U.S. Department of State has revoked 85,000 visas, including over 8,000 student visas, which has doubled year-on-year.
At the same time, there is an increased scrutiny of all H-1B visa applicants and their families (H-4), and a suspension of immigration applications from 19 countries has been announced. It is evident that the overall visa environment in the U.S. will maintain a strict review stance for the foreseeable future.
When Traditional Paths are No Longer Stable
What Truly Needs to be Planned in Advance is Identity
In the past decade, the classic route for international students has been: study abroad → OPT → H-1B → Green Card
But now:
• Employers find it difficult to obtain slots
• Outsourcing channels are gradually being phased out
• H-1B slots are concentrated among tech giants
• Government reviews are comprehensively strengthened
• Competition in the job market is intensifying
H-1B is no longer a stable path for ordinary applicants. Therefore, more and more families are beginning to focus on a more stable identity pathway—one that does not rely on the lottery, does not depend on employers, and is not affected by the job market.
That is: EB-5 investment immigration— a stable, controllable, and highly certain pathway to U.S. identity. The advantages of EB-5 are very clear:
• No lottery required
• Not reliant on employers
• The whole family obtains green cards
• Opens up comprehensive educational and employment opportunities for children
• Rural EB-5 projects have no waiting period, dual submission, and priority approval
• Stable policy framework
• Not affected by the current round of visa revocations and strengthened reviews
In an era of high uncertainty regarding visas, securing identity first and then planning the path has become a consensus among more and more families.
The WorldWay Group holds two high-quality EB-5 rural projects, further assisting investors in achieving stable, no-wait, and efficient U.S. identity planning, quickly stepping onto the path of a new life in the U.S. Global quotas are limited, and seats are scarce, so first come, first served!
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