Statistics of H-1B Visa Holders in the U.S. and Reach of H-1B Cap in Recent Years

• Total H1-B Visa Holders in the U.S. in Recent Fiscal Years
  • 2008: 409,619
  • 2007: 461,730
  • 2006: 431,853
  • 2005: 407,418
  • 2004: 386,821
• Reach of H-1B Cap in Recent Fiscal Years
  • 2010: Still Open, and Going and Going, as of 04/11/2009! May be it will record the statistics between 2007 and 2008.
  • 2009: 1 day
  • 2008: 2 days
  • 2007: 56 days
  • 2006: 132 days
  • 2005: 184 days
  • 2004: 323 days
• The total H-1B holders steadily increased until 2008 when it dropped substantially. Probably it was affected by FY 2007 July Visa Bulletin fiaso which opened the flood gate for EB-485 filings with no visa number cut-off date in July 2007, accompanied by massive issuance of EAD allowing some of the H-1Bs in this stream to drop out of H-1B status and use EAD, most of which were issued beginning from November 2007. There being no such event in 2009, presumedly the total numbe of H-1B holders in 2009 might have increased. Considering the fact that every year a same new number of H-1B holders are added to the total pool, a large number of H-1Bs have kept extending their H-1B status on and on. Additionally, the fact that overall the total H-1B holder numbers remained steady may indicate that more or less of from 85,000 to 100,000 numbers of H-1B are added to the pool and about the same number moved out of the pool, mostly into green card holder pool, adding flesh blood of valuable workers to the main stream of this country. It Ain't Interesting?

source: http://www.immigration-law.com/